Hello to the Hogrefe Building

SANDUSKY — About 2,500 people came out to celebrate the grand opening of downtown Sandusky's newest addition, which pays homage to history. "The event exceeded our expectations," said Rick Hogrefe, speaking for himself and his wife, Meghan, on the Hogrefe Building's opening. "Meghan and I are so pleased to have reached this milestone. We had a very hard five years getting here." Their hard work culminated on Saturday, when people could tour the grounds and check out this 33,000-square-foot, three-story structure. Entertainers playing music, vendors selling goods and food trucks offering meals helped round out the festivities. Within the property, people noticed how the Hogrefe Building houses a mixed-use site for retail, office and residential uses. It also connects to the adjacent Marketplace, another one of their properties. Overall, they've invested $12 million into the site. It breaks down with $8.5 million coming from their personal accounts and the rest covered by local and state government funding sources. The Hogrefe Building mirrors its predecessor, the Cooke Building, which fell into a dilapidated state and couldn't be saved due to decades of neglect from past owners. In an effort to honor history, Rick and Meghan aggressively pursued plans in recreating the Cooke Building's look. For instance, during the building process, crews replicated the former structure's shape and dimensions. Throughout the building, there are many nods to the land's history and how it weaves into Sandusky's 200-plus-year-old narrative. Many people commended the Hogrefes for their hard work and dedication. "Congratulations to you again for the beautiful building," Linda Borough said. The building's backstory Rick provided a brief summary on him and Meghan acquiring the former Cooke Building: • "We purchased the building in January of 2017." • "We spent the next year or so studying the building, letting tenants on the ground floor know what is coming and planning for the restoration period." • "The construction began in 2019." • "After spending over $1 million in the almost year-long attempt and numerous close calls with calamity, we realized that the building was beyond repair, and we sought permission to raze the building to make room for a new one." • "In November 2020, the building was demolished." • "We started building almost immediately." • "It took 14 months to build the new Hogrefe from scratch." • "We believe Regency Construction and our architect, Jeff Foster of Payto, did an astounding job getting it done this fast. It is almost unbelievable, really." • "This (new Hogrefe Building) was built to last centuries. It will be a part of the history of Sandusky, someday." The building's blueprint Here are some more notable details regarding the three-story-tall Hogrefe Building as explained by Rick: • Size: 33,000 square feet — Building's highest portion: "It has a rooftop deck for the tenants." — Third floor: "We have 11 apartments with five already rented out." — Second floor: Reminger Co. "has taken the entire second floor under a 10-year lease." — First floor: "We have four (commercial) spaces on the ground floor: 3,200 square feet, 1,980 square feet, 1,027 square feet and 800 square feet. The smallest is already taken: It is the new office of H2 Property Management. The other three are still available." • The street level, part 1: "The ground floor has a main hallway that connects Columbus Avenue to the Marketplace. The hall will be decorated with history, similar to the Marketplace, but more focused on the Cooke and downtown. I have been spending countless hours writing narratives. As always, we try to teach while we entertain. There will be a number of large murals depicting historic photos of the Cooke, similar to the Marketplace. Cabinets will hold the artifacts we found in the walls of the Cooke." • The street level, part 2: "The central courtyard will become the new Noble Court, the outdoor beer garden of the Noble Fun Co. Doors into both Noble Axes and Noble Crafts are being cut to give direct access to the open courtyard. The arched entryway on Market Street offers a grand entrance to our newest addition to the fun experiences possible downtown. It opens on (March) 19 and will be open weekends until May, when it will be open all week." • The street level, part 3: "Derek Brennan is going to paint the most spectacular mural in the courtyard. It will be lit will string lights and have an area for live music. To make it more three-season accessible, we have firepits and plenty of heaters. It will be lush with plants. We want this to be visually pleasing and is part of the view for our tenants. Our goal is to bring the feel of a European-style plaza with an outdoor cafe to downtown Sandusky."