Last fall when Ben S. Wood III hired a crew to begin restoring two adjoining buildings he owns on Seventh Street, several people who work in the area wondered if he had tenants lined up for the vacant properties.
Not yet.
But a recent uptick in downtown activity and renovation work at several properties prompted the great-great-great-grandson of town founder Bartholomew T. Wood to take some action.
“Seeing all the activity around, people are trying to restore downtown and get some viable businesses going.” Wood explained in a recent interview.
The buildings he is renovating are at 115 and 117 E. Seventh St. in the block between Main and Virginia streets.
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Wood plans to renovate both buildings for offices or retail space on the first floor and an apartment on each one’s top floor.
Wood estimates the pair of two-story, brick buildings were constructed in the 1880s.
His father bought one, which is nearest to Ben Fletcher’s law office, in 1946.
At that time it housed a restaurant that eventually was named The Horseshoe. When the Horseshoe moved to the boulevard in the 1960s, the Seventh Street building became a bar.
Wood bought the other building, which is closer to South Virginia Street, in 1985. For many years it housed mainly diners and bars. All of the plumbing and electrical is being replaced in that building. If a tenant becomes interested in the property, Wood said he’ll let the renter determine the configuration of rooms before putting in new walls and sheetrock.
The interior of the other building was in better condition. However, a one-story section at the rear recently had a wall cave in.
Wood is considering leaving the interior of that building in the 1950s style his father installed with knotty pine and mahogany bar. How he proceeds with that building depends, in part, on the interest of potential renters.
Both buildings have a new roof.
The buildings sit on property once owned by his ancestor Bartholomew Wood.
“So I have some sentimental reasons for doing this,” Wood said.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
