The Missouri Main Street Connection presented awards to a Chillicothe apartment building and a Chillicothe resident at Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization Conference in St. Louis last week.
Chillicothe’s Central School Apartments won the Best Downtown Housing Project Award. The Zabka family renovated the historic Central School in Chillicothe. The building has educated children since the late 1800s and was slated for demolition.
The family transformed the 58,000-square-foot building into residential and commercial housing units, creating 11 two-bedroom units, 12 one-bedroom units, and a daycare center. The project preserved features of the former school, including the playground and the original school bell.
Chuck Erke was named a Volunteer of the Year semifinalist. He volunteers with multiple Chillicothe organizations and serves on the Main Street Board of Directors. He attended the Main Street Now national conference in Boston.
Erke has helped organize, enter data, and walked through Downtown Chillicothe, noting business and address changes for directory listings.
The Downtown Revitalization Conference honored communities, individuals, businesses, and organizations from Missouri that completed what the Main Street Missouri Connection considered exemplary work in downtown revitalization. Nominations were submitted in 13 categories, covering aspects of design, economic vitality, organization, promotion, and other efforts.
