It’s a long way from Bucks County, Pa., to Lima, Ohio. In Marcel Wagner’s case, it’s almost a lifetime.
Wagner moved to Lima in 1990 and didn’t know “zip about Ohio,” he says. In Bucks County, Wagner only got to know people through his kids’ sports. But that wasn’t the case here. “These are top-shelf people who give their time to ensure that this community will grow and prosper,” he says.
As president and CEO of the Allen Economic Development Group, Wagner came to understand how invested people are in this community when his organization and several other agencies began searching for a new home.
They decided on the historic but decrepit Schnorf and Wagner buildings downtown. The buildings’ front door and second- and third-floor windows were boarded, its façade was destroyed, and its brickwork was in bad condition. There was water damage, and animals had taken up residence.
“At first pass, you’d probably want to tear it down,” says Wagner, “but it was structurally sound.”
So the five organizations, determined to be in the same building, investigated funding for the renovation.
Wagner marvels at the personal and financial investment the community made in the buildings’ transformation. First, octogenarian John Rudolph, owner of Rudolph’s Food, the largest purveyor of pork rinds in the country, provided funds for the architectural plans. (He later donated additional money for the renovation.) The Allen Economic Development Group provided a $200,000, 20-year, no-interest mortgage. The convention and visitors bureau, the chamber, the civic center, the county commissioners and the city of Lima all made financial contributions to help cover the $2.5 million renovation costs.
“This is what I’ve always thought being part of a community was about,” he says. “It’s a model story for how a community can do things. It ain’t easy. It ain’t fun, but when it’s done …” he trails off in amazement.
And when it was done, Wagner showed exactly what commitment means. He and his fiancee stepped into the stunning ballroom, now part of the the city’s convention center, located on the third floor and determined it would be ideal for their November 2009 nuptials.
“Once she and I saw the 10-foot-tall windows, the millwork, the dance floor and the view of downtown in the evening, we knew it was where we wanted to have our wedding.”