TOLEDO, Ohio — The Vistula Historic District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Toledo and is known as the gateway to downtown. So, developers are working to revitalize it.
Developers have invested millions in new commercial and business spaces to blend the old with the new.
Rob Keleghan, the principal broker for real estate agency Signature Associates, has been behind the Vistula District for years with the help of Drew McCallum and Matt Nachtrab, who used their deep-seated Toledo roots to assist with the Gateway Vistula Project.
The project has helped turn the Old Westminster Church into headquarters for IT consultant company Nemsys.
The project also opened an alleyway to create an entertainment zone and preserved historic buildings to transform them into commercial spaces for opportunity.
Keleghan said people thought he was crazy for wanting to invest in the Vistula Historic District, but he said it has come a long way.
"The amount of inquiries we are getting because of the changes to the outside because people are actually pouring the money in and they can see that it's been spent and it's ready to go," Keleghan said.
The neighborhood has been given less and less attention over the years, Keleghan said, since the median income for a Vistula District family is only $11,000.
But the area is now getting the eyeballs it needs with $20 million in state and federal grants assisting the growth.
"It's been really exciting to see developers come in, buy these homes, rent them to people from the community, give them a clean safe affordable place to live," Keleghan said.
Toledo City Council at-large member Carrie Hartman moved to the Wonder Bread lofts at Vistula a few years ago and said is more than happy to be in a position to help the growth while living amidst it.
"Seeing these private dollars move downtown to the Vistula neighborhood is very exciting to see," Hartman said.
She's comfortable where she and what she has, but is looking forward to more things to come for the neighborhood.. She and other residents would like to see more retail spaces, grocery stores and pharmacies.
"It's a fun neighborhood to live in and there's' so much history here. It's beautiful," Hartman said.
Metroparks Toledo is also planning to begin phase three of its Glass City Metropark expansion along the river in the Vistula District, but Keleghan said it is still in early talks about what it will entail.