The Schmidt Building opening in October

SANDUSKY — They're saving another building from the extreme brink of blight.The latest project undertaken by Rick and Meghan Hogrefe: resurrecting what's now called the Schmidt Building at 246 E. Market St. beside Value City.Blueprints for the $3 million project, funded entirely by their company, primarily involve modernizing this mixed-use site for two purposes:• On the upper floors, repair eight apartment buildings, each totaling about 1,200 square feet, back into a habitable state. Each unit will offer two balconies. In a common area, meanwhile, there's an atrium, which can be reserved for small gatherings.• On the ground floor, provide two separate spaces for storefronts, each totaling about 2,200 square feet.Still under construction, a unit in the Schmidt Building starts to take shape on Monday, July 2, 2018. The building will feature eight apartments, all totaling about 1,200 square feet.By Oct. 1, the Hogrefes believe they can begin leasing space to tenants, both for the residential and commercial spaces.Up until the early 2000s, the building's apartments were fully occupied by tenants. But the former owner, Schottenstein Property Group, opted to stop leasing these units rather than invest in structural upgrades.An artist rendering shows a bird's-eye view of the Schmidt Building on East Market Street in downtown Sandusky. The investment continuesUnder their joint company, H2 Property Holdings, the Hogrefes have invested about $20 million across Sandusky and Bay View since 2016.The couple, who hail from San Diego, are pursuing similar renovations efforts at:• The Cooke Complex, formerly the Cooke Building, on Columbus Avenue and Market Street in downtown Sandusky; This project includes creating The Marketplace at Cooke, an indoor mall with local vendors, in the Huntley Building.• The Lea Block, formerly the Romnick Building on East Market Street in Sandusky; They want to create and enhance the building's existing residential and commercial uses.• The former Moose Lodge and the Cedar Motel in Bay ViewSome projects they've overseen are now complete, such as opening Bubbles by the Bay laundromat in Bay View, upgrading the Bay Bell Restaurant, next to the laundry facility, and debuting Paddle & Climb in downtown Sandusky.A construction worker restores a section of crown moulding at the Schmidt Building in downtown Sandusky on Monday, July 2, 2018. The project calls for modernizing but maintaining various historical aspects of this structure.Rick, a 1979 Margaretta High School graduate, previously outlined his reasons for enhancing two communities he loves."Sandusky has about anything a town could want: history, a waterfront, a huge local draw," he said. "We also saw a wonderful opportunity to help rebuild Sandusky. I am a firm believer these are the right moves. The city is ready to transform. We want to be a part of it."And on Bay View: "I'm a villager, pure and simple. The village never left me. I have always been a Bay View boy. Our ethics here, our morals, the way we think, the way we feel about ourselves and our community is something really special and that never left me. It was this place that always gave me joy, and it really drew me back here."An artist rendering shows a street-level view of the Schmidt Building on East Market Street in downtown Sandusky.History Lesson: the Schmidt BuildingLocated at 246 E. Market St., the building was constructed in approximately 1890, based on Ohio Historic Inventory document No. ERI-774-3. The property's former names include the Schottenstein Building, the Wagner Quarries Building and the Sandusky International College of Beauty.The now-named Schmidt Building is a well-preserved example of a mixed-use structure from the turn of the 20th century and is a contributing structure to the surrounding historical district context.Construction crews work in the atrium of the Schmidt Building Monday afternoon. The exterior of the building demonstrates masonry detailing consistent with the construction time frame and remains in good condition. Exterior access porches and lighting wells remain and will be maintained. A free-standing stone structure at the rear of the property, which previously housed a boiler serving multiple buildings, will be preserved and maintained for a new use.Inside the building, the original plaster ceilings and proportions of the commercial space are in fair condition and can be readily maintained.The eight apartment units were used as housing for executives and employees of Wagner Quarry and will be maintained in their original configuration yet upgraded with modern appliances and converted into luxury apartments. A majority of the original wood and plaster trim and detailing remains and will be preserved, including the marble stairwells from the first to second floor.A common tenant winter garden, complete with leaded glass skylight on the second floor, is a unique and defining feature, also known as an atrium. Borrowed window lights from the individual apartments to the central winter garden will also remain.Source: H2 Property HoldingsAn artist rendering shows a look of a common area inside the Schmidt Building on East Market Street in downtown Sandusky.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Construction continues on the Schmidt Building in downtown Sandusky on Monday, July 2, 2018. Debuting in October, the building will feature eight upper-floor apartments and street-level storefronts for businesses.