New Urbana health, wellness building to officially open this week

May 27—The first phase of a renovation and expansion of a building at the south entrance to Urbana will officially open this week.

The new building, named 1300, will have a grand opening and ribbon-cutting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday at 1300 S. U.S. 68, the intersection of South Main Street and State Route 55.

The building is home to four businesses focused on health and wellness, with three of the businesses women-owned, and was developed by Howell Land Development, which plans to eventually add a third building.

The four tenants include Gemini Coffee & Eats, All Is Well Massage, 937ROOTS salon and Ohio Valley Surgical (OVS), a Springfield hospital. The first three have been opened since April but OVS will potentially open in June.

Phase I of the building project, which is now complete, included reconstruction a former bank and joining it with a new building to the east toward U.S. 68.

The nearly 18,000-square-foot new building will include the about 5,000-square-foot reconstructed bank, the second building and the corridor that connects them.

"We are very much focused on working out all the kinks of the newly opened project, and looking for an anchor tenant for the second phase before anything would start there," said Andy Howell of Howell Land Development.

In phase II, there are plans to add a third building to the north of the property for additional merchants, services and outdoor space. The planned two-story building in this phase will be about 6,500-square-feet, and is still in need of future tenants.

"Phase II is an additional 13,000-square-feet to that campus, (but) we haven't started on that. We have all our ducks in a row from the building space standpoint," Howell said.

The main setback in the project was the material pricing, Howell said.

"The material pricing of everything was really surprising. Having experience in construction, we knew material and labor had gone up, but it's surprising on how fast it's gone up. Everything is costing more. Materials, labor, everything is just costing more," he said.

Howell said it feels good to finish phase I and open the building.

"Construction is an unpredictable process at times, so it'll be time to digest and get our feet back underneath of us," he said.

Gemini Coffee & Eats is owned by twin sisters Nikki Roth and Missy Huber.

The local-style, farm to drive-thru or table coffee shop with five employees uses locally made, simple ingredient syrups, works with Woodruff Farm for chili, milk and yogurt, works with The Farmhouse Bakery for all pastries and breakfast, and also has lunch items.

"It has been amazing to be open and get to socialize and serve the local and surrounding communities. We have regular customers who stop in everyday and order the same thing, and they say it feels like home. We love that," Roth said.

Roth said the most popular items so far are the iced brown maple sugar and white chocolate latte, everything seasoned ham and cheese croissants, buffalo chicken salad or wrap, taco salad and the Pain Au chocolat (chocolate croissant).

937ROOTS is owned by stylist Amy Jumper.

"My client base has grown since relocating to the new location. My clientele appreciate the ample parking and the privacy that they get from a salon suite," she said.

The salon offers hair care, makeup services and skin care. Jumper will continue to work independently at her new location and is accepting new clients.

Jumper received her cosmetology license in 1993, started off as an independent contractor then opened her first salon known as The Hair Closet in 2011.

All Is Well Massage is owned by licensed massage therapist Abbey Dixon.

She started Massage on Monument Square in March 2010, but is now in the new space with the new name.

"It's been an amazing move. We are so happy with the work that has been done to our side," she said. "I'm so thankful to be able to continue my business in a new location. It was getting hard for some of my clients to find parking and walk to me on the square, but parking is easier and better for my clients. Blessed to be able to keep bringing massage therapy to Urbana."

Along with Dixon, there are two other massage therapists, Allie Layne and Audrey Brooks, who have been with her for 11 years.

The massage shop offers relaxation, deep tissue, medical, hot stones and couples massages, plus cupping and other services will be added.

Ohio Valley Surgical is "working hard to get this project over the finish line," an official said.

Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital is branching out from Springfield to Urbana with its new Ohio Valley Physical Therapy (OVPT) location, which will provide PT services as well as lymphedema, vestibular and concussion programs, with plans to add pelvic floor therapy, Parkinson's Big and Loud Therapy, and osteoporosis programs. There will be additional office space to allow physician specialists to rotate through the location.

The paint and flooring are almost completed on the 2,700-square-foot facility, and cabinets, furniture and equipment should be installed before the grand opening.

Kristin Davis, market and brand strategy director, said OVPT is hoping to start taking appointments sometime in June, but will still participate in the grand opening.

"In the beginning, we will have 2-3 employees in this location based on PT need. We also have three exam rooms and office space, which will be available to physicians who are interested in a timeshare space in the area," she said.

Howell Land Development purchased the nearly 3-acre property in 2018 when it was only used for medical storage. The plan for this project started in 2022 and construction beginning in spring of 2023.

Howell, who grew up in Urbana and is a Columbus Realtor, decided to be the developer of this project after moving back to the city in 2013.