The view from the bay window of an apartment above the Chamber of Commerce/Main Street Galion Office. Linda Boyd Chambers, Main Street Galion Director, and with all the efforts of those before, had finally found a company with the ability and vision to save the old hotel building. The same restoration firm, KG&R Development Corp., is now looking at the attached Zimmerman Building and our old unused East Elementary School to make similar apartments.

Galion has been on the move for the last few years. There are improvements going on all over the Galion Uptowne district. Linda Chambers has helped many of the building owners find money to bring the old historic buildings up to new standards. If you want to be a part of it she can be reached at 1-888-2RR-TOWN or Main Sreet Galion. Here is a view out the other side of that bay window. Brian Treisch, left, and Eric Gimble are refurbishing an apartment at 106 Harding Way East.

The Elevator: First floor. Reference: Back of the old bar.

Second floor.

Third floor. This area has a nice sunny exposure and has been suggested as a nice green plant area.

Here is a view that we won't get to see again. This is the basement end of the elevator shaft and you can see the two gray hydraulic cylinders on either side that lifts the elevator compartment. The post in the center has a big spring that in the unlikely chance that the elevator should free fall will compress to break the hard stop at the bottom.

The first five apartments are getting their last finishing. and will be sealed off ready for inspection.

The Prints and Paints tile and carpet work is being inspected by Jack Schrode, Construction Director for KG&R.

All the parts to the old stair way railing were finally brought up to serviceable condition and made to fit with the new drywall which slightly altered the original configuration. This room is now finished with the exception of the fire place treatment which is yet to be determined. The room will be used as a "Community Room" and will be a fitting memorial to the old hotel's Front Lobby.

Meanwhile the other 25 apartments are in various stages of completion. The pictures above represent the metal studs, wiring, plumbing and dryer and shower exhaust ducts.

A new stairway well for the Unit-D and west end of Unit-A apartments. When the photo at the right was taken it was almost all "roughed in", missing the last half flight of stairs to the third floor.

At the end of the month, preperations for the new look for the former store fronts was started. Jack Shrode confers with Job Superintendant, Sonny Dull. They will be false store fronts because the space will be taken for apartments. In the picture at the right, a sample of the old original tin ceiling treatment still is in place.

In behind the boarded up store fronts a new passage way was being made through the brick wall.

Knocking out one of the final temporary supports that lifted the old sagging barn-like timbers.

More work is needed on the new passage way. It looks like some of the apartments will have "character".

Our first look at the 1874 Zimmerman Building. These two old store rooms will still be used for businesses. The apartments front stairway is interesting here.

Another building allowed to be ravaged by the weather and neglect. The adjoining alley was closed for a time after pulverized bricks were found in the alley. The picture at the left was taken this summer and the one to the right at the end of November.

The roof had been sagging because of the big holes.

The East side of the Zimmerman roof shows more neglect. The old building needs help, NOW!