With Phase I of the overall restoration project of the Iron Block Building in downtown Frankfort complete, Clinton County Chamber of Commerce officials are looking towards the future with Phase II slated to begin Monday.
“We should be wrapping this (Phase II) up by April,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shan Sheridan. “The first quarter (of 2019) we’ll be under construction and should be done by the beginning of the second quarter. As far as Phase III goes, we’re in fundraising mode, still. So, we’ll see.”
Sheridan said Phase II will involve tearing out the old ceiling on the first floor.
“We’re going to bring it back to as original as possible and still make it functional for our co-working space,” said Sheridan. “It’s about taking care of the first floor.”
With the exception of some work to some steps on the north side of the building, Sheridan said Phase I is done. They will lead to the basement of the building.
“We’ve worked very diligently on Phase I to bring the exterior back where we felt like it needed to be to really promote our downtown and be a cornerstone for our downtown,” said Sheridan. “We brought it back to the original look and we brought back the Iron Block name.”
Sheridan said the downtown building is only the third structure in the country that has the name Iron Block on it. The other two are in Brandenton, Fla., and Milwaukee, Wis.
Sheridan added they are going to stay downstairs during Phase II.
“Phase III is upstairs,” he said. “In Phase III, that would be renovating the entire upstairs and moving the chamber office, economic development office and Main Street upstairs.”