For decades, the storefront at 131 W. Broadway adjacent to Village Hall sat vacant in downtown Granville.
On September 27, a ceremony was organized by Windstream, the owners of the building, to launch a new storefront space for Kinetic, â€offering Internet, digital TV and business solutions.
Doug Nelisse, director of field operations for Ohio, New York and Meadville, Pa., Said, “We’ve had the building for a long time. I think it’s good to open a store here where the people of Granville can easily come and sign up for our high speed internet service, pay their bills… make all kinds of requests. We haven’t had this for a long time.
Looking around downtown, he said, “It’s a great community. “
The building originally housed the old Granville telephone exchange, with an operator living in the space above the ground floor.
According to Nelisse, as a storefront, the building has been closed since at least the late 1990s. The rear part of the building housed the switching equipment for the operation’s central office, he said.
Before a ribbon cutting ceremony, Mayor Melissa Hartfield said of the new retail space: “For most of my life, I don’t remember anyone being there except a older girl who lived on the second floor. When she was here you would hit zero and you were actually talking to someone who was an operator. So that’s the experience I had when I was a kid, and there was always a payphone here. “
Hartfield continued, “Over the years we’ve hoped that something would end up in there, that it wasn’t an empty storefront. It is a beautiful building. It has beautiful architecture, beautiful details. The interior of it is exceptional. I’m so glad someone is here. I hope people will recognize him right away… I really hope he succeeds… I welcome you.
Granville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Steve Matheny said, “We are delighted to welcome Kinetic here to Broadway in Granville. I’ve been in my position for eight years now, and since being here in town, we don’t have a presence on the first floor of this Windstream building yet, so I’m very happy to know that we have people and a Broadway business in this premier building. It really is the heart of the Village… We are delighted.
Nelisse said, “We are honored to be here at this location in Granville. As a member of the Chamber, we come together today with a common passion for our local community. We represent a local business that strives to improve the lives of the citizens of Granville.
In a nod to the ongoing pandemic and its impact on workplaces and those required to work from home, Nelisse said: “This year has taught us the importance of reliable internet service. It’s vital for our customers and a necessity for household … We are committed to keeping communities connected to what matters.
He noted that Kinetic is also participating in the Broadband Emergency Program, which helps pay for Internet service for consumer households who qualify for low-income related programs or have seen their income drop significantly due to COVID. -19.
Nelisse said construction of the operation will soon transition to an in-house construction team model. “In the very near future, we will be integrating all of our construction forces internally, which will be great. It means jobs, opportunities, long-term career opportunities and a presence so that we can better serve you. “
Following the ribbon cutting, Nelisse and Kinetic Regional Marketing Advisor Shawna Cossin presented a check for $ 1,000 to Hope Farm in Granville and Manager Susan Ginise, who provides therapeutic riding services.
