“This development brings a strong foundation for the south side of Urbana. This development will serve residents and businesses in many different ways. We are excited to have health and wellness services in an otherwise under-utilized but important space,” Andy Howell of Howell Land Development said.
>> New Urbana health, wellness building: At look at the 4 tenants and what they will offer
The building will have four tenants: Gemini Coffee & Eats, All Is Well Massage, a salon called 937ROOTS and Ohio Valley Surgical (OVS), a Springfield hospital that will offer physical therapy services and more there.
Twin sisters will open the coffee shop, and women will own the salon and massage businesses.
Abbie Dixon, a licensed massage therapist opening All Is Well Massage, said: “The like-minded women that will be going into these spaces is truly admirable. We will bring a whole new vibe and destination to Urbana.”
Phase I of the building project included reconstructing a former bank and joining it with a new building to the east toward U.S. 68. In phase II, there are plans to add a third building to the north of the property for additional merchants, services and outdoor space to “promote pedestrian connectivity,” said Rich Ebert, economic development director of the Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP).
The nearly 18,000-square-foot new building will include the about 5,000-square-foot reconstructed bank, the second building and the corridor that connects them. The two-story buildings planned in phase II will be about 6,500-square-feet each, and is still in need of future tenants.
Howell said the company purchased the nearly 3-acre property in 2018 when it was only used for medical storage. He started a plan in 2022 and construction began in the spring of 2023.
“It was really kind of an eyesore. People in Urbana didn’t realize the building was sitting there because you almost just skip it in your mind,” he said. “There are a lot of cars that come through. It’s a high visibility area that we thought served as a gateway to the city. We thought we could really make something unique, make something a lot better and take advantage of the corner.”
Howell, who grew up in Urbana and is a Columbus Realtor, decided to be the developer of this project after moving back to the city in 2013. He grew up in Ohio, but moved to Colorado in the early 2000s where he said it was “different out there” with people taking care of themselves. He moved back to the city in 2013 and saw how different Urbana was in the 10 years he had been gone, with other people now interested in health.
“Urbana, in my mind, is going through a renaissance right now. To be a part of that, provide something I felt drawn to in fitness and wellness, there’s not other developments like this. It’s not a historical development, (but) we’re going for a modern, concierge-type thing focused around health and wellness,” he said.
As a developer, Howell said they take all the risk, but developers take “a blank canvas and tries to paint a picture.” He said they manage the construction process, planning process and manages the tenants through completion.
As a Realtor, Howell said, he sees a lot of people moving back to central Ohio to smaller towns and cities, especially to Urbana, and thinks it’s a “real opportunity for some small towns that do have the houses available.”
Phase I should be completed by spring, with three of the four tenants slated to open by March 1 and Ohio Valley aiming for April 1. Phase II could be finished by the end of 2025.
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