Former Frontier Too building remodel is underway

DAYTON-Since it was built in 1882, the building at 211 East Main Street has been a mercantile, drug store, bank, survived a fire, and has been an International dealership, a Pontiac car dealership, and a tavern called the Frontier Too, until that closed in 2008.

For eleven years it has been an eyesore, now sandwiched between Snapdrag Floral and Gifts, and Winter Rose Café and Boutique.

But it has a promising future, according to Kim Lyonnais and Blaine Bickelhaupt, who were on hand at last week's "Cup of Joe" to talk about what they, as the new owners, have in mind.

Lyonnais said when they initially looked at the building, portions of the ceiling were hanging down, the upstairs had been closed off, the stairwell had been removed, and the skylights leaked.

He said the slats, rafters and supports, and floors are in good shape, though, as is the basement.

"Everybody says it has great bones," Lyonnais said. "It's rock solid. It just needs some TLC."

And TLC is what it is getting.

The roof has been replaced. Four leaking skylights have been replaced and a new skylight has been installed at the top of the "stairs." The hatch has been replaced, and a membrane has been installed on the roof.

And with the exception of some electric beer signs, a juke box, a pool table, and some games from its days as a tavern, the main floor has been mostly cleared out.

But it will be awhile before finish work will be done on the main level as work on the building will take place going from top to bottom, Lyonnais said.

He said it will take about a year to turn the second floor space into either four one-bedroom apartments, or two or three two-bedroom apartments, construct a caretaker's apartment on the first floor, and ready the main floor for some type of commercial endeavor.

People haven't been shy about poking their heads in and pitching ideas as to what that retail business should be, including the idea for another tavern, Lyonnais said with a chuckle.

The state's historical architect, Nicholas Vann, dropped in at Cup of Joe to share information about tax incentive programs that are available for historic properties that have been neglected.

This fits with the vision the pair have for the building..

"We want to get it as authentic as possible," Lyonnais said.

Five 10 ft. doors, original to the building, will be incorporated into the upstairs apartments. Also, the front of the building will be opened up.

"We haven't found a picture yet, but we think we know what it looked like," he said.

Lyonnais said the pair paid $60,000 for the Frontier Too building and they think it will cost close to $500,000 to complete the renovation.

"We're not in a hurry and we're really trying to do it right," he said.