WARREN — An effort is being made to get the historic 1920s Reeves Building in city’s downtown placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cindee Mines, a member of the Trumbull County Historical Society and other local societies, said she has submitted the six-story building for consideration to the Ohio History Connection for the national registry.

“This is such a great place. It is right on the river. It is a beautiful building and when you talk about people coming to Warren, this would be great for people to come and see as well as all the other buildings in Warren,” Mines said.

Mines said she has wanted to see something done to the building since 2015, and it should be fixed up and restored.

She said the building was used for more than 50 apartments and had a laundry area on the lower floor. There were some businesses at one time on the first floor, too.

“This is a beautifully built 1926 building. If it’s placed on the national registry list, it will help with getting grants and other available money,” Mines said.

The Ohio History Connection informed Mines the building is eligible after she submitted exterior pictures. She’s now obtaining interior photos.

Mines said she has interior images from 1928 when her grandparents lived in the Reeves Building after they were married.

“I have spoken to different architects and developers who are interested in historic preservation,” she said.

She spoke to Diana Wellman of Naylor Wellman, who performs historic preservation consulting and has served as a historic architectural consultant. Wellman also worked on the YMCA building in downtown Warren.

Mines said architectural firms she has contacted have indicated the Reeves Building is restorable.

She said she has also spoken to Arthur Greenblat of Vista Corp. in Connecticut, which has worked on buildings similar to the Reeves Building, including a 1916 school in Cleveland that opened last fall and is used now as the Longfellow Senior Living Facility.

Greenblat said such buildings can be rehabbed.

He said there was historic rehab done on a three-story school in Cleveland that was within an entire block, including the school, playground, green space and ballfields. He said the school now has 20 apartments for seniors, with a second building constructed that has more apartments, bringing the total to 80.

“That project worked out very well,” Greenblat said.

He said they work with architects that deal with historic rehab of buildings into apartments.

Officials have said the Reeves Building is owned by the Western Reserve Port Authority.

Mines said people touring the downtown could go see the building and stop at the nearby winery, restaurants and other places. She said those kayaking on the river can pass by the building.

OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION

Mary Rody, survey and national register manager for inventory and registration with Ohio’s Historic Preservation Office, responded to Mines that a committee of State Historic Preservation Office staff reviewed the material she submitted.

“Based upon a review of the information, it appears the Reeves Building will likely qualify for the National Register under Criterion C Architecture under the context of the “Apartment Buildings in Ohio Urban Centers 1870-1970,” Rody states in the letter.

She said in preparing the nomination, the committee will need to review photos of the interior to confirm historic integrity such as historic finishes, room divisions and circulation pattern of staircases and hallways.

BUILDING’S FUTURE

Warren Safety / Service Director Eddie Colbert said city council and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership applied for grant funding for demolition work that could include the Reeves building.

Colbert said TNP applied for up to $4 million in demolition money. The city would have to provide 25% matching funds, or $1 million.

“I’m very confident that TNP has not gotten confirmation of the approval of the grant yet,” Colbert said.

Mines said the key is that the building “is eligible” to be on the list.

She said the Yellow House in Howland was also eligible for the list, which helped that building be saved and moved to a new location.