LIMA, OH (WLIO) - A young Lima couple has jumped on board with the Central District project in downtown Lima.
Shawn and Diamond Russell are the owners of the Booker Building at the corner of Spring and Union Streets, adjacent to the Greater Lima Region Amphitheater. The building once belonged to Diamond's grandfather and was home to Allen County's first African American doctor and nurse. The couple is excited to renovate the 5,000-square-foot building, bringing new life to it and to downtown Lima.
"We're going to bring a diverse multicultural exciting innovative space. We're going to have the AIRBNBs that are going to be high-quality modern designs. The event space is going to have some of the best materials. And Bean City Chicken, I might be biased, but I believe they have the best chicken in the area," said Shawn Russell Jr., co-owner of the Booker Building.
"I just think that it's very important. Especially just with the history of the building knowing that it was Doctor Watts's building. He had a significant impact on there and to think that we are able to keep it and turn it something different. I just think that is a great opportunity for our whole family," said Diamond Russell, co-owner of the Booker Building.
They are looking to start construction later this year with the completion of the project in the fall or 2024.
