Jerry and Joann Keith spent Sunday afternoon admiring restored hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, and industrial details at seven buildings in Toledo’s Warehouse District.
The couple, both 67, are getting ready to downsize from their home in Whitehouse and used the annual Wander the Warehouse District event as an opportunity to explore the option of moving to their favorite Toledo neighborhood.
“We love going to Chicago and walking around the big cities. This kind of has the same feel down here,” Mrs. Keith said.
Cathy Schrein, vice president of the Toledo Warehouse District Association, said more than 1,500 people bought tickets for the walking tour of homes and businesses. She didn’t have an official total available Sunday evening, but she was confident it was the most tickets the group has sold for the event in its 15 years.
The Summit apartments, Sunkist Building apartments, River West Townhouses, the Marck residence, Lorenzen Townhouses, HUB Group, and Graphite Design + Build were this year’s featured buildings that showed off the neighborhood’s continued revitalization.
“I heard it was going on, but I didn’t know it was this pretty,” Mr. Keith said.
“The renovations of some of these buildings are just amazing,” his wife added.
Cheryl Sexton, 71, of Monclova Township, is a regular Wander the Warehouse District attendee. She said she is interested to see how developers renovate Toledo’s old buildings and make them into comfortable, livable spaces.
“There is more and more interest in this. There didn’t used to be this many people coming to this,” she said. “And the interest in living downtown.”
Sunday was the first time Toledo natives and newlyweds Jennifer Jancsin and Phil Kajca attended the walking tour. The pair live in Perrysburg but said they are happy to see Toledo’s former industrial buildings remodeled in eclectic and interesting ways.
“We wanted to see what they’ve done with downtown Toledo. We’re both excited for it,” Mr. Kajca said while touring the Sunkist Building. “I remember when this was a rundown district area, and there were just trucks down here or vacant buildings. It’s nice to see the whole revitalization of Toledo.”
Next door, soon-to-open Souk Mediterranean Kitchen and Bar was offering a complimentary preview of its menu items. Chef and owner Moussa Salloukh, previously of LaScola Italian Grill on Airport Highway, said he is aiming for an Oct. 1 opening but wanted to participate in the association’s event.
“I think this is a new and upcoming part of downtown down here. There’s more retail spaces next door that they need to fill in,” he said. “Last night with the night market and then this today, it’s good to see that kind of traffic down at this end. I think it’s good for downtown. I think we’re on our way to being something really special.”
On the other side of downtown in the central business district, real estate developer Perry Teplitsky was hosting an open house for the Lofts on Adams. He wasn’t part of Sunday’s Warehouse District Association event because his property isn’t in the right neighborhood, but it fit the bill in terms of design.
The renovated 125-year-old building boasts five modern, two-bedroom apartments with the original brick walls and exposed ductwork. Mr. Teplitsky said he has been watching Toledo’s redevelopment in all parts of downtown, and he likes what he is seeing.
“I just think there’s an opportunity in cities this size,” he said.
First Published September 15, 2019, 10:10 p.m.
