"Small towns across Ohio are proving that big transformations often start with a single building," Gov. Mike DeWine said in the JobsOhio announcement marking the September 24 opening of Midtown Market in downtown Cambridge.
The single building in that quote is 1023 Wheeling Ave. It went up in 1920 as the Sipe Chevrolet dealership and sold cars until 2018, according to The Daily Jeffersonian. For almost a century, people came to the building to buy something and drive it away. Since this fall, it has been set up to keep people inside for an evening. That shift is what makes Midtown Market useful on a cold weeknight in Cambridge. A family can split up, with kids at the lanes and adults at a food counter, and nobody has to leave the building to get what they came for.
A two-floor dealership rebuilt around staying put
The owners are two local couples, Justin and Lisa Brown and Kelsey and Aaron Neff. JobsOhio puts the renovation at almost $1.5 million and the finished space at more than 17,260 square feet across two floors.
Of that budget, $450,000 came from a JobsOhio Vibrant Community grant. That's a competitive program for mixed-use projects, real estate development and operated shared spaces in communities that meet its criteria. The grant covered a little under a third of the project. The rest came from the owners and their partners, which is why Bill Arnett, executive director of the Cambridge-Guernsey Community Improvement Corporation, gave the credit where he did.
"Getting this project done took the work of numerous groups and organizations, but without the vision and financial commitment from the local owners it wouldn't have happened."
Arnett's comment appears in the AVC News opening report. The Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the ribbon cutting with the market. Partners included JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, the City of Cambridge and the CIC.
Who's cooking under the old showroom roof
The building works for a mixed group because nobody has to agree on one menu. The opening-day report lists these food and drink businesses:
| Business | What the name tells you |
|---|---|
| Chopp Boxx Hibachi and Pho-Sushi Bar | Hibachi, pho and sushi |
| Delizio's Pizza, Subs and Ice Cream | Pizza, subs and dessert |
| Desperado Baja | Baja-style food |
| Taste of Greece and Moroccan Street Food | Greek and Moroccan street food |
| Chapman's Coffee House | Coffee |
| Bowl'd | Bowls |
| The Station on Twenty-Two | Ice cream and sandwiches at its original shop |
| The Thirsty Turtle | Bar and restaurant |
The Visit Guernsey County listing for Midtown Market also includes a business called The Tootsie.
The Station on Twenty-Two has a backstory that suits this building. Ron Miller bought Cole's Service Station from Martha Cole in 2013. It had been a general store, gas station and garage, and he remembers getting his bike tires fixed there as a kid. The family began scooping ice cream there in 2021 and added sandwiches a year later. The Station's own site describes the Midtown Market shop as a second location for "our Cambridge community." That puts a business that started in a former service station on the roster of a former car dealership.
Six lanes, an arcade and a playground on the same floor plan
The recreation side is what makes the food hall work for families. Funk Bowling installed six duckpin lanes. The lanes use Nexus scoring and project interactive graphics straight onto the lane surface, according to the company's October 27 case study. The opening report also lists arcade games, an indoor playground and private birthday party rooms.
The Funk case study explains the reasoning behind the layout. People don't all walk into a family entertainment center for the same reason. One group comes mainly to eat, another is there for a birthday, and parents and kids may want completely different things. Putting bowling next to the other attractions lets a group spend its whole visit in one place.
The county visitors bureau describes the market the same way. In its family attractions guide, kids use the indoor playground, arcade and duckpin bowling while parents eat and have a drink, all under one roof. The Thirsty Turtle's bar sits inside the same building, so a family outing and an adult night out can happen side by side.
Upstairs, the building is already acting like a community room
The second floor has started hosting events. Cambridge Main Street held its America 250 Mosaic Mural Paint and Sip at Midtown Market on November 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets were $20 with supplies included, the event was capped at 38 participants, and Midtown Market food and drinks were for sale upstairs.
Each participant painted one canvas, and together the canvases make up a mosaic mural for America's 250th anniversary. Cambridge Main Street says the finished piece will be professionally installed in Historic Downtown Cambridge as permanent public art. When it goes up, Wheeling Avenue will have a piece of public art painted inside the old dealership.
Space for meetings and work is part of the plan too. The market offers office and coworking space, conference rooms and private event rentals. JobsOhio described the building as "already being used as a hub for entrepreneurship and collaborative working." Matt Abbott, president and CEO of OhioSE, said in the same release that the market "has already proven itself to be an effective community hub."
Jennifer Vincent, president and CEO of the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce, said the market gives "residents and visitors another reason to spend time downtown."
Fitting it into a Dickens-season evening on Wheeling Avenue
Midtown Market opened just ahead of the busiest stretch of the year downtown. Dickens Victorian Village runs each November through January 1 and puts 96 life-size scenes along the streets. The historic Guernsey County Courthouse has a holiday light show every evening of the season, according to the Visit Guernsey County family guide.
A simple plan for a weeknight with kids or visiting family:
- Check the Midtown Market Facebook page for that day's hours and any lane or party-room details before you head out.
- Eat at 1023 Wheeling Ave. first, so everyone can pick from different counters and the kids can bowl or use the playground while the adults finish.
- Walk the Dickens scenes after dark and end at the courthouse light show.
- Stop at the seasonal Dickens Victorian Village Welcome Center, where kids can try on Victorian-era clothes for photos.
If someone still wants dessert, Kennedy's Bakery, a downtown Cambridge tradition since 1925, and Nothing But Chocolate, known for its small-batch buckeyes, are both on the county's list of family stops.
Downtown Cambridge has me thinking about how much a single building can change a street. If you're a Cambridge homeowner wondering what new places like Midtown Market mean for your corner of Guernsey County, I'm happy to talk it through. Reach out to Cory M Neville and let's connect.
