Old Municipal Building Reborn as Business Site

Old Municipal Building Reborn as Business Site
Paddy wagons once rolled through what are now windows in the restaurant's main dining room and miscreants were jailed in what is now the kitchen.

People were married, played basketball and watched movies in other parts of this historic structure - the old Mason Municipal building, 202 W. Main St.

Now, a $3 million restoration of this 1930s-era building in the heart of the city's downtown is nearly complete.

One tenant, a graphic and digital design firm called Rocket Science and Design, already has moved in. One Restaurant and Lounge, a casual restaurant, is scheduled to open for dinners Oct. 15.

The third tenant, HiFive Development Services - which bought and has spent the past 14 months restoring the eye-catching, art-deco building - is scheduled to move in by December.

The building is the most recent example of the city's effort to revitalize its downtown.

The building reflects both nostalgia and progress for downtown Mason, said Paige Rothstein, the city's downtown and small business coordinator.

Independent businesses like Yost's Pharmacy, which has been there for more than 60 years, have remained successful. But downtown is also drawing new tenants.

Rocket Science and Design relocated to Mason from Dayton earlier this year.