Morning Journal/Lily Nickel A “SOLD” sign appears in the window of former Pilmer Auto Parts store on the corner of Beaver Street and Lincoln Way. e202 Lincoln Way is one of seven buildings that have been sold in Lisbon’s downtown. The building operated as an auto parts store for over 50 years but will be given a new life by new owner Cynthia Koonce.

LISBON — The recent sales and future rehabilitation of seven vacant buildings downtown brings hope of a new life and bright future for Lisbon.

A walk through the village of Lisbon’s downtown is a walk through history. Founded in 1803, Lisbon is the second oldest village in Ohio and while it’s a historic feat, in recent years its age is becoming more evident and problematic. Aging with grace doesn’t come naturally and requires maintenance and care, something that vacant buildings downtown have lacked for some years now, despite the effort of the village’s administration.

In 2017, an ordinance was passed by the village’s administration to regulate the repair and maintenance of structures and properties within the village. The ordinance’s purpose is to “establish the minimum standards necessary to make exterior property areas safe, sanitary, free from fire and health hazards and fit for human habitation.”

While this ordinance covered the minimum requirements, it wasn’t until when Mayor Peter Wilson was elected in 2020 that a new ordinance was put in place that targeted the heart of the issue–vacancy. Wilson pushed for a change to the original ordinance, which he opposed as a village councilman in 2018. Wilson was in favor of implementing a new ordinance that was recommended to them by their hired consultant firm Town Center Associates. The new ordinance gives village officials authority to cite property owners for violations and gives owners 45 days to comply–if they don’t comply in time, they’re given an annual “monitoring” fee.

In 2019, 22 buildings in Lisbon were vacant and 20 of those buildings had one or more violations; 18 had maintenance code violations, 15 didn’t have a sale or lease sign and 10 had window or entryway cleanliness violations. Those violations are all a part of a longer list of violations defined by the village ordinance and are considered evidence of vacancy. Other violations include: a structure in which the ground floor is not legally occupied by its owners, lessess or other persons in lawful possession or at which substantially all lawful business operations have ceased, significantly below standard utility usage, overgrown and/or dead vegetation, accumulation of newspapers or mail, broken or boarded up doors and/or windows, abandoned vehicles, auto parts or materials, the absence of window coverings, the absence of furnishings or items consistent with occupation, and statements by authorities that the structure is vacant or unfit for human inhabitants.

Wilson describes rundown vacant buildings as a blight on the downtown, and he worries that they deter prospective business owners from investing in Lisbon. He said that some of the buildings have been sitting empty for up to 17 years, which

“If you have an empty building and no one is inside, of course no one is maintaining it, so it’s difficult to get people to come to Lisbon and invest here if we don’t take pride in our downtown,” Mayor Peter Wilson said.

The only solution to vacancy is occupancy, which is beginning to trend upward for Lisbon. Seven buildings downtown have been sold since mid-February, bringing the promise of new businesses to downtown. Three buildings located at 1, 2 and 3 S. Park Ave. were sold to Frank Francesco, the building at 202 W. Lincoln Way, formerly Pilmer Auto Parts, was sold to Cynthia Koonce and the building located at 126 W. Lincoln Way was sold to Shannon Clark. Clark has already set up shop downstairs with the Rosewood Real Estate Group. A building on the corner of South Market Street and West Washington Street, located at 135 S. Market Street, is in under contract with a sale pending, bringing the total to seven. An owner has not yet been confirmed. All of the named owners so far have plans to rehabilitate the historic buildings back to their original grandeur rather than tearing down and starting over. Wilson said that from the plans that he has heard so far, there is expected to be at least one restaurant and a few retail stores inhabiting the buildings. The new owners also have the option of renting out the space to interested entrepreneurs, which Wilson said there are multiple of in the area. He said the village receives on average four calls a month from interested buyers and renters who want to open up a business in Lisbon.

The ordinances and sales are all a part of a bigger picture for Wilson, although he won’t take all the credit. He said his predecessor, former Lisbon mayor Joe Morenz, started the plan to rehabilitate buildings in downtown Lisbon.

“He was the one who started this process, I’m just continuing it. He laid the seed, he laid the ground work for it, I’m just try to speed up the process of it,” Wilson said. Speeding up the process brings Wilson closer to the ultimate goal–a thriving and attractive downtown that brings tourism, and new residents, to the village.

“I want to see Lisbon as a destination for tourism. A more vibrant downtown, more restaurants. I want people to come to Numbers for a drink or the Courthouse Inn for lunch and stick around and walk around downtown and visit other establishments,” Wilson said. “The idea is to create jobs, have more businesses and attract people who want to live in Lisbon.”

Like most other small towns and villages in the area, the population sin Lisbon is on the decline. According to the United States Census Bureau, the population has steadily declined over the past decade. In 2011, the population was 2,876 and today it sits around 200 people lower at 2,695. Wilson said that having a bigger population increases tax revenue which will improve public services. To Wilson, the sales are a step in the right direction, but not the final destination.

lnickel@mojonews.com