ThisWeek CW 05/23/2013
Almost a year after first announcing his plan to build a car museum in downtown Canal Winchester, it appears Bob McDorman is finally going to get his wish.
The old Davis Paints store property at 45 E. Waterloo St. has been a contentious piece of land in the city since the store closed in 2007. It was eventually being taken over by The Guernsey Bank.
Patrick Shea and Susan Stedman fought the bank in court last year for the right to purchase the property, ultimately succeeding just prior to a December arson that destroyed the historic buildings, some of which dated back to 1857.
According to records from the Franklin County Auditor’s Office, the partners paid $225,000 for the property.
During the legal battle, McDorman had also proposed to purchase the land from The Guernsey Bank so he could build a 24,000-square-foot museum. Now, with the historic buildings Shea had hoped to rehabilitate gone, McDorman has negotiated to buy the property at an undisclosed price. The purchase is expected to be completed in the coming month.
Canal Winchester Development Director Lucas Haire said the city’s Landmarks Commission recommended approval of the application for the property at its April 22 meeting.
“Last year, we went from using a setback line for buildings in the Historic District to a build-to line, where we encourage buildings to use an average setback similar to adjacent buildings,” Haire said. “This would mean an 18-foot setback but this is a 23-foot setback to allow for the circular drive and canopy overhang, which will recreate the old service station feel like McDorman has at the dealership.”
Both Landmarks and the Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission have approved the variances and site development plan to allow construction of the museum to move forward after the purchase is complete.
McDorman hopes to get construction underway as soon as possible.
“Once I finish the purchase, I’m working with some contractors who think we might be able to be open by September,” he said.
Approximately 4,000 square feet of the 24,000 square feet in the building will be donated to the National Barber Museum and Hall of Fame, currently operating out of second-story space at 2 S. High St.
The Barber Museum has been looking for a new location for the past couple of years so it is more accessible and has enough space to display the complete collection, according to museum director Mike Ippoliti.
“This is really a fantastic addition to the community that I think will bring a lot of tourism and is a good marriage for the Barber Museum,” Ippoliti said.
McDorman was a longtime owner of a Canal Winchester car dealership. He sold a majority interest in the business to Jeff Wyler in 2011. He said at the time he planned to retain his 15-percent interest for another four years and retire on his 50th anniversary of being a Chevrolet dealer.
He was recently nominated to be in the National Corvette Hall of Fame for his 50 years as a Chevrolet dealer and for his extensive Corvette collection, which will be the primary focus of the museum.
“I love the automobile dealership and I’m the only dealer ever to be let into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “I want this deal for the city and to spend the rest of my life helping the town. I think this will bring in a lot of traffic and help the Barber Museum as well,” McDorman said.