Historic Dublin buildings could face bulldozer for mixed-use development

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- A pair of outbuildings on a historic Dublin site could soon be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development.

A dirt-floor shed and a four-car garage located in the rear of the properties at 16 to 22 N. High St. in Dublin would be bulldozed for a three-story building, according to the proposal submitted by Dublin-based Trepicone and Associates Architects. The site is home to two commercial buildings fronting High Street that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"An important site, in the heart of the Dublin historic district originally constructed as a residential/office mixed-use site," Trepicone's proposal states. "We view this design as an opportunity to return to the original, historic intent for the site."

Once completed, the three-story, 5,000-square-foot building would include two town home units facing North Blacksmith Lane, a first-floor restaurant fronting High Street and a second-floor office space. A community "pocket park" that is accessible from High Street is also included within the proposal.

Trepicone's project could join a series of redevelopment in historic Dublin, like a pair of cabins dating back to the 1930s undergoing renovation to become a wine bar and bourbon lounge. The neighboring properties at 30 S. High St. in Dublin will soon be home to “Apothecary Cigar and Bourbon Lounge” and “Uncorked Wine Tastings.”

Co-working business COhatch is also taking part with plans to redevelop several historic homes and construct a 15,000-square-foot building along North Riverview Street. The development will include the company’s new headquarters and feature bars and restaurants, indoor and outdoor event spaces, and more for year-round use and entertainment.

A more than 100-year-old building is now home to a full-service restaurant named Gene's and is run by Coast Wine House, a bar and bottle shop inspired by coastal California. Gene’s sits two doors down from Coast, which opened at 75 S. High St. in 2019, inside a home built in 1900 that has served multiple tenants, including an antique shop, a pizza parlor and a nail salon.