ANTWERP, Ohio (WANE) -- After several steps, Antwerp appears to be just a couple of months away from welcoming a recreational marijuana dispensary to the area.
On March 18, the Village of Antwerp -- with help from the Antwerp/Payne/Paulding County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) sold the
historic Antwerp Norfolk & Western Rail Depot, which is located at 503 W. River St. on Antwerp's western edge. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980 after being built 100 years prior.
The train depot sold for $500,000 and will be the future home of a medical and recreational marijuana dispensary run by Verano Holdings Corp. under the name Zen Leaf Antwerp. A neighbor told WANE 15 he has seen contractors working on the property for the past few days.
Antwerp Norfolk & Western Depot
Antwerp Norfolk & Western Depot
The company's website features a page dedicated to the Antwerp dispensary, and while an official opening date has not been announced, the webpage indicates the dispensary is "coming soon," and Verano shared in a statement to WANE 15 Friday that the company anticipates opening Zen Leaf Antwerp in mid to late May.
We are so excited to open Zen Leaf Antwerp, our sixth Ohio location, in the near future. Established in the late 1800s, Zen Leaf Antwerp is situated in a former train depot listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which will offer cannabis fans a one-of-a-kind opportunity to shop for the products they love while enjoying one of the most unique cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. given its distinct history and aesthetic. Located less than five miles from the Indiana border and just 30 minutes away from Fort Wayne, Zen Leaf will provide a convenient location for area shoppers to purchase safe, legal, regulated and tested cannabis products spanning a variety of formats such as flower, edibles, topicals, vapes and more from our stable of house brands available in Ohio including (the) Essence, Savvy, Encore and Bits Edibles, and our namesake Verano.
Upon the completion of required state inspections and minor construction activity in the coming weeks, we anticipate fully opening Zen Leaf Antwerp in mid to late May. We intend to preserve the historic character of this one-of-a-kind unique dispensary to honor the building's legacy in Antwerp, and look forward to igniting an exciting new chapter for the Antwerp train depot as a thriving Zen Leaf cannabis dispensary that will contribute jobs, revenue and economic growth in the community for years to come.
Verano Holdings Corp.
The sale happened more than nine months after Antwerp Village Council and Antwerp Mayor Jan Reeb voted to sell the depot to be used as a marijuana dispensary.
During a June 27 vote on the proposal, councilmembers were split 3-3 and Reeb served as a tiebreaker vote in favor of the sale. Councilmembers Bryan Smith, Dean Rister and Bill Boylan voted in favor of the proposal, while Bryce Steiner, Steve Jordan and Jason Franks voted against it.
Antwerp councilman files motion to stop sale of historic depot for marijuana dispensary
However, before finalizing a sale, Steiner filed a complaint in Paulding County Common Pleas Court that requested a permanent injunction on the sale because he believed the way Antwerp officials went about putting the train depot up for sale violated state laws.
Steiner filed the complaint in September that put a hold on any potential sale until a decision came down from the court, which happened in January when Judge Tiffany R. Beckman ruled against Steiner.
The impending dispensary represents one of many notable economic developments coming to Antwerp and Paulding County after county officials announced plans April 1 for an 89-acre mixed-use development project called Antwerp Square that will be located on the village's south end. The space intends to have residential and retail spaces, including the possibility of a hotel.
‘Unlimited potential’: 89 acres planned for ‘Antwerp Square’ mixed-use development
Timothy Copsey, the economic development director for Paulding County, cited other developments in the area big and small such as the purchase of the nearby assembly plant that used to be home to Dana Incorporated -- which will be used for warehousing and small businesses -- along with an upcoming ribbon cutting for a new daycare center and the opening of a new wellness center.
With all the new things coming to Paulding County, Copsey believes the area can eventually serve as a hub for both northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana.
"I see this as becoming a suburb of Fort Wayne to the east side ... we're going to be a very good connector between Fort Wayne and Defiance," Copsey said of Paulding County.
Copsey also said it's great to see that outside businesses and organizations are willing to invest in the area.
"Now that we've started the 'Paulding County Strong' mantra, it's helping ourselves to believe in ourselves," Copsey said. "We're starting to promote better, and I think people outside are seeing it."
WANE 15 reached out to multiple Village of Antwerp officials for comment and has not yet heard back.
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