- For years, Reed Insurance Owner Andy Joslyn was looking for a new space to place the company as it expanded.
- Wanting to stay in DeWitt, Joslyn then purchased land across the street from the current office in Downtown DeWitt, which will also incorporate 8 high-end apartments.
- Video shows updates on the building.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter Russell Shellberg here in DeWitt. The downtown area is built on small businesses, but one large addition will soon be open to the public.
For years, Andy Joslyn and his team have worked in a building in downtown DeWitt.
"Pre-COVID, I was looking at our space, and it looked like we were at max capacity. So I was worried about outgrowing the current space," said Joslyn.
After looking at options to expand, leaving the area was the last thing he wanted to do, which led him to an idea.
"This property had been sitting vacant, and the city had been wanting to develop it for probably 7 or 8 years, and nobody had been able to do it," said Joslyn.
So Andy bought a lot on the corner of Main and South Bridge Street to house his business plus some additions, which City Administrator Dan Coss says helps to grow the town.
"There will be a space for additional businesses to rent, adding the residential units. You know it certainly helps move the downtown forward," said Coss.
On top of the businesses will sit 8 high-end apartments for rent, which is a part of the mixed-use permit the city wanted when Andy applied for the land use, which Coss says will be a major upgrade for the community.
"So obviously any time we can add density and add people to our downtown, it benefits the businesses, benefits the community, and we're really looking forward to it," said Coss.
The businesses are hoping to move in by April and hope to have tenants in early May.
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