1 of 2
JOE ALBERT
2 of 2
JOE ALBERT
Restoration contractor and developer Steve Coon has saved numerous historic buildings in Ohio from ruin — repurposing the spaces to give them new life.
“When you’re in a historic building, you’ve got that sense of place — Wow, I’m somewhere really special,” says the owner and president of Coon Restoration. His company’s projects include well-known spots like the Historic Onesto in Canton, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial in Put-in-Bay, University Circle United Methodist Church in Akron, and West Side Market and Terminal Tower in Cleveland.
Coon recently set his sights on another property in the Hall of Fame City, transforming a 1900s structure into Mediterranean-style living spaces. The historic Spanish Apartments, located near Canton’s Vassar Park neighborhood, are the newest addition to his portfolio. Thanks to the Belden family, who made significant improvements to the building, Coon was able to then buy it at auction and finish work on it. His company updated the five units to include newer amenities like granite countertops while restoring and preserving historic details such as balconies and rounded steps. Opened in May, the apartments are now available for rent.
Why did you embark on this project?
Steve Coon: The stucco walls and the nice clay tile roofs — it’s special and unique. They don’t build buildings like this today. This is something that I thought should be saved, and not only saved — a lot of people would gravitate to this way better than new construction — it tells a story. … It took about a year and two months to do, but we renovated it, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Two-bedroom units and balconies.
What lifestyle do the apartments offer?
SC: You could walk to all the restaurants, the [Canton] Palace Theatre, the coffee shops, all the events going on in the downtown historic district.
Can you describe the building?
SC: Some things … we’ve modernized, but the walls and everything else are what they did over 100 years ago. We were able to patch things in and repair them, and you can’t tell where the repairs were made. The historic doors — they’re all that two-inch, first-growth wood. It gives it a very unique look and feel.
Why did you choose a building in this area?
SC: We’ve done a lot of stuff in the [nearby] downtown historic district. This was … half a block north of the historic district. It had that historic character, and I knew if I didn’t buy this building, somebody was going to do the wrong thing. … I’m looking to buy more houses in that area to fix up. [This is] how downtown neighborhoods are changed.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Canton?
SC: Walk around and look at opportunities to bring something back to life. There are such good bones in front of us.
coonrestoration.com
