Dreaming big

Pat Daniels loves antiques.
She was in her booth at Jay County Antique Mall in January 2015 when there was a mention of the need for new employees.
“She said, ‘I don’t want to work here, I want to own the place,’” her husband Brad recalls. “Well, that started the ball rolling. And that’s how we got to where we are.”
Where they are now is in the process of making upgrades to the facility, which they are buying on contract from Morris Alsip. Those efforts include a new paint job for the 15,500-square foot section that faces Bridge Street and is now dubbed Jay County Event Center, in preparation for its first event.
The center, 500 S. Meridian St., Portland, will host comedian Donnie Baker, a regular on the Bob and Tom radio show, at 7:30 p.m. April 23.
Pat and Brad see the event center as a site that has the capacity to hold virtually any kind of event. Their purchase included 100 tables and 500 chairs to help with that effort. They estimate the area will seat between 800 and 1,000, though they’re waiting for Portland Fire Department to set the official capacity.
No public events other than the Baker show have been scheduled, but several wedding receptions are slated for this summer. And a Christmas party is already booked for late this year.
Other events could include meetings, conventions and concerts. And the couple has been approached about country dances and radio controlled car races.
“There’s just a whole lot of things that you don’t even think about that people want to do,” said Pat, a Ridgeville native and 1979 Winchester High School graduate who has worked at Jay County Hospital for 34 years.
Their rental price for the event center is $500, but Pat and Brad said they have flexibility based on the needs of the client.
“There may be instances when it’s a smaller conference and they may not use that much,” said Brad, who graduated from Jay County High School in 1979 and has been the county surveyor for two decades. “There may be groups that might need it that may not have the means, but they do so much good for community that we could work something out with them.”
After taking control of the facility on March 3, the couple got to work with financial help from a $75,000 grant from economic development income tax funds. They’ve spent quite a bit of time organizing the antique mall section of the building, and have fixed some roof leaks and replaced some carpet as they work their way from the front to the back.
Renters leave their items — the mall is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday with the exceptions of Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter — and the couple and its handful of employees take care of any transactions. Pat and Brad are in the process of creating space for more booths, which are rented by antique dealers from as far away as Florida.
“As soon as we have the booths ready, they want them,” said Pat, who has a love for milk glass, crystal and old furniture. “It’ll be completely full.”
Several sections of roof have been or will be replaced. And there’s more work to be done, such as painting the exterior and grading the parking lot that borders Bridge and Fifth streets.
They’re also working to stabilize the 10,000-square foot garage, and already have renters lined up for that part of the massive structure.
“We have to remember it’s a process,” said Brad. “That’s the main thing. It’ll get done.”
One part that is already complete is a former kitchen that has been transformed into the new home of Judan Judo.
The club’s students have been training in the section on the south side of the building for about three weeks now in preparation for today’s state championships at Jay County High School. Through 39 years of existence, Judan’s homes have included the basement of The Ritz theatre, the basement of the Weiler Building (now John Jay Center), the current street department building, Matt’s Garage and most recently a former church at the corner of Commerce and Arch streets.
“Next year it’ll be 40 years we’ve had a club in town, continuously,” said Brad, who runs Judan with his sister Vickie. “And we’ve never owned a place.
“It’s pretty exciting.”
While they don’t want to run it themselves, Pat and Brad also dream of having a café in the house on Meridian Street that was part of their purchase. They hope, someday, that all of the parts — antique mall, event center, Judan Judo and restaurant — can feed off of each other and draw visitors in.
They also plan on participating in community events such as the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association Show, Jay County Fair and Heritage Festival.
It’s all part of their ultimate focus — to take the structure that was first built in 1914 and had been added onto several times since and turn it into a drawing card for the community. They know it’s a big project — 70,000 square feet — but its one they believe they’re up to.
“We’d been married a year-and-a-half and we decided to do this endeavor together,” said Pat. “And sometimes, you know, people say, ‘Be careful.’ But we’ve been having a great time … getting this together.”
“We just think this could be such a bonus — for the town and the county,” added Brad.