ASHLAND — The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce has moved back onto Main Street, where its president said the organization “truly belongs.”Â
“This move puts us where the action is — and where we truly belong — because the Chamber is quite literally the front porch of our community,” said Amy Daubenspeck, the chamber’s president.
Daubenspeck and her staff welcomed the community to their new digs on Monday during an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new address is at 121 W. Main St.
Emily Grimm, the chamber’s vice president of membership and marketing, described the new space as “elegant” and “spacious.”
“It reflects the professionalism we aim to bring to the community. We hope it helps elevate both our visibility and our impact,” she said.Â
The chamber was located on Main Street until September of 2000, when it moved to the second floor of National City Bank, which is now PNC, on Second Street.
In August 2009, the organization moved to 211 Claremont Ave. and leased from the City of Ashland.
“Now, 25 years later, the Chamber is back on Main Street,” Daubenspeck said.
(Photos courtesy of Bill Harris Dealerships. Story continues below gallery.)
What happens to the old building?
The City of Ashland owns the building at 211 Claremont Ave., which sits on a parcel directly across the street from city hall.
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said the building has experienced major roof and plumbing issues that have proven to be too cost-prohibitive to address.
“So we decided that once it became vacated, we’d tear it down and figure out what goes there,” he said. “It could be parking, but it could be the site of a new business.”
Miller said the city will likely include the building with others as part of a state grant geared toward demolitions.