Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Several buildings in downtown Warsaw are undergoing facelifts and interior renovations to prepare them for new lives as commercial or office buildings.
The largest is the former Kline's Department Store, on the corner of Market and Indiana streets. Purchased by Lake City Bank, the main floor of the building will eventually house the bank's trust and investment brokerage and marketing and human resources departments, said senior vice president Jean Northenor.
The lower level will be the bank's training facility, she said.
Northenor said she expects to move into the building next summer. While exterior work is progressing quickly, inside renovations have not yet begun.
One interesting detail of the outside work is that the diamond-shaped highlights on the building are made of Indiana limestone.
"It's a great building," Northenor said.
Several buildings on Center Street will be available sometime next year when renovations are complete.
The former Elks Building, adjacent to Sprint, was built in 1907 for the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In the 1920s and 1930s it held several small shops - barber shop, license branch, candy store and insurance agency - and was called an arcade.
Owned by Sprint and undergoing renovation by Mick Welborn and John Shively, the building has three floors, pressed tin metal ceilings; original woodwork, hardwood floors and stained glass windows and transoms; and a third-floor former ballroom with 16-foot ceilings and a stage.
Roger Fisher, of Sprint, said the company bought the building and will donate it to the Warsaw Community Development Corporation after renovations are complete.
Fisher said the use for the building won't be set until the WCDC finds tenants or turns the building over to a developer.
"It's a win-win situation for everybody, I believe," he said.
Shively said the building has been recognized as a historic building, contributing to the historical significance of the courthouse square.
Because of the complexity of historic renovations, Welborn did not know how long it would take to restore the building to its former glory.
Several doors down from the Elks Building other renovations are going on for a soon-to-be sports clothing store. And plans are being made at other locations for businesses to move or expand.
Trish Brown, executive director of the WCDC, said Warsaw's downtown continues to be busy and vibrant.
"We're really excited about the projects and the impact they're going to have on the downtown," she said.
Staying in downtown Warsaw has always been a priority for Lake City Bank, Northenor said.
"One of our goals at the bank has always been that we believe in downtown Warsaw," she said. "We just feel a strong commitment to stay downtown."
