Columbus Avenue Revitalization

Marous Brothers Construction led the Design-Build delivery of the Columbus Avenue Revitalization, a transformative adaptive-reuse project that reactivated a historic downtown corridor through a dynamic mix of civic, commercial, and residential uses. The redevelopment encompassed three interconnected historic buildings—the Whitworth, Kingsbury, and Commercial Banking & Trust Company buildings—creating a mixed-use destination that includes the new Sandusky City Hall, retail space, and 18 market-rate apartments. Working within Department of the Interior historic preservation guidelines, the project required extensive stabilization, restoration, and rehabilitation of the existing structures while preserving their architectural character. The complexity of the program demanded careful coordination among multiple stakeholders and user groups, with building systems, access controls, and security measures strategically designed to serve public, private, tenant, and back-of-house functions independently within a connected environment. Since all three buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, we managed a design-build process to ensure that we balanced restoration of noteworthy, historically significant features & finishes with new construction in conformance with The Standards for rehabilitation. The successful completion of this effort has led to additional developments that have reinvigorated the historic fabric of Downtown Sandusky and now serves as a model for public-private revitalization.