Ben Ezinga, SCA Principal, said “Given the state of the national and regional economy we are thrilled to have leased all of our available space. Tenants, entrepreneurs, and people who live and visit Oberlin have all responded to the type of development we have tried to create - a mixed-use building connected to its surroundings with green design and the vibe of something new and positive in Oberlin”

“It is really great to see that our vision for a more vibrant downtown has moved from paper to pavement and nothing was lost in the translation. It is a testament to the type of community Oberlin is that we have defied all of the trends and negative news surrounding the region” said Josh Rosen, the third owner of Sustainable Community Associates.

Of the 33 units of housing available on the upper floors of the mixed-use buildings, only 3 condos are left unsold. All of the original sales prices have been met, a rarity in today’s real estate market. Ezinga is optimistic that they won’t be available for long. “We’ve seen an influx of people coming from outside of Oberlin who want to live in Oberlin. We have a number of young professionals buying condos as well as empty-nesters who no longer have the interest in taking care of an old home and enjoy being close to Oberlin’s amenities.”

Sabel added “If there’s anyone in the community who have not toured the facility we would love to show you around. This was a community supported project so we want to make sure everyone in the community has a chance to see the project before it is completely full.

Sales over the last year have left us with just three condos left. Fortunately because of the high quality of design and uniqueness of the floor plans the units remaining are true gems. If you have ever thought about living in downtown Oberlin, please give us a call or send us an e-mail and we can set up a tour.

The East College Street Project’s retail space is 100% leased! All we have are a few offices left in Building C (behind Slow Train Cafe). If you are looking for office or studio space please call us at 440 574 9527.

You can find the footage here

Located in Lorain County, the family owned company was founded by multimedia artists and food artisans, Debby Krejsa and Josef Bomback. Advocates for local sustainability since the mid 70s, the couple bring their creative and culinary skills, along with a commitment to using organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible and practical.

“We believe in living simply and love creating things with our hands, both in our art studio or kitchen studio.” said Krejsa, a Shaker Heights native. “Since the 1970s, wherever my husband and I lived, whether in Cleveland, Boston or San Francisco, we have always worked with the utmost respect for ingredients, process and craftsmanship.”

The couple will work out of a 2,600 square foot facility, in Elyria, that was once a Lawson’s Milk Company. “This is an awesome building with great bones and room to grow,” said Bomback, an Oberlin College alum. “We are mindfully repurposing the building to become a sustainable small batch creamery that will consistently produce ice creams that are unmatched by grocery store brands and local scoop shops.”

This is no easy task. In the U.S., the majority of ice cream is predominantly an industrialized food. Most shops, even some that claim to be homemade, often use commercially processed pre-fabricated bags of chemical laden dairy goop. Cowhaus Creamery does not use artificial flavorings, preservatives, emulsifiers, food colorings or high fructose corn syrup in any of their ice creams.

Along with their dedication to using the best ingredients, Cowhaus Creamery’s goal and commitment as a sustainable enterprise is to create a community of synergetic relationships that will help generate a local food economy. “It’s important that the product we’re creating will help support local and regional family farms and related businesses, as well as our own, and that we do it with the smallest possible footprint.” adds Bomback.

“We want people to experience what great locally-made ice cream should taste like,” noted Krejsa. “Most people have never had small-batch-made-from-scratch ice cream. We believe Northeast Ohio will love what we are offering to our community.”

Cowhaus Creamery is now finalizing plans to open their first retail shop in downtown Oberlin. Details to be announced at a later date.

About Cowhaus Creamery
Proudly made in Northeast Ohio, Cowhaus Creamery is a small, family owned company with the distinction of being the only micro-batch artisanal American-style ice cream factory in Ohio to use organic grass-grazed dairy to create their ice cream. All of their unique and exciting flavors are made with local,organic and sustainable products from the Great Lakes terroir and around the world. To learn more about Cowhaus Creamery please visit http://www.cowhauscreamery.com, Facebook and Twitter.

In November The East College Street Project was named the most beautiful new building in Lorain County. You can read more about the award here

And just last week we found out we also have been recognized by the Cleveland Engineering Society as their project of the year for Northeast Ohio. You can read more about this distinction on their website

All of these recognitions are a tribute to the excellent team of design and construction professionals who have devoted their time to ensuring this project has a transformative effect on the community.