Apr. 18—MIDDLETOWN — The former Middletown Journal building, where headlines were written for decades, is back in the news.

Raymond Scott, owner of a laser business in Middletown, purchased the building at First Avenue and Broad Street for $128,000 at a 2020 sheriff's sale, and since then, has invested $240,000 replacing 70 windows in preparation of renting out space in the three-story, 34,000-square-foot building.

"Potential," Scott said Sunday afternoon when asked about the building. "We're taking it from something it wasn't to something that is really nice."

His first occupant will be 3 Roses Wine Cellars, a business owned by Michael Penrod, who has another location in northeast Ohio. Penrod is remodeling a 3,000-square-foot portion of the basement and hopes to pour his first glass of wine by the end of July.

He was in the building on Sunday afternoon talking strategy with Scott as workers protected the windows by covering them with plastic as major renovations continue.

"We have a lot of great ideas," Scott said.

"It will be fun," Penrod said.

While the space is "a mess right now," Penrod predicts great things for the winery/beer bar that will have an entrance off First Avenue.

"I can see his vision for the building," Penrod said of Scott's elaborate plans. "I'm excited about seeing the vision. It's starting to take shape. This building has a lot of character."

Scott, owner/engineer of Rabbit Laser USA on Hook Drive, has renovated other Middletown commercial properties and residences, he said.

His plans for the newspaper building include two banquet halls that seat 150 to 200 people, a warming kitchen, 27 offices, space for 30 to 40 cubicles, one apartment for short-term use, retail space on the first floor, and possibly a remote control car track in the basement where the printing press was located.

"I want to see people grow companies here," he said.

Penrod believes having a winery in the basement will be beneficial for those renting the banquet halls for wedding receptions, bridal parties, class reunions, anniversaries and birthdays. The winery is called 3 Roses because Penrod's mother, sister and daughter are named Rose.

Penrod and Scott connected when he visited Penrod's winery in Bolivar, Ohio, several months ago. When the conversation turned to possible expansion, Scott told Penrod: "I got the perfect spot."

Scott works on renovating and cleaning out the building on weekends. He has no timeline when the massive project will be complete, though he said financing won't be an issue.

"You know how you eat an elephant?" he asked. "One bite at a time."

The building looks completely different than it did when Cox Newspapers, which purchased it for $252,200 in 2000, sold it to Montesi Smith Inc. for $1,000 in 2013, according to the Butler County Auditor's Office. That is when the Middletownn Journal merged with the Hamilton Journal-News.

The previous owner, as part of the agreement with Cox Newspapers, remediated all the asbestos and EPA issues, according to Scott.

In the last two years, Scott has torn down walls, removed debris, painted walls, and started converting some of the space.

The two banquet halls appear to be the closest to being operational. He hopes to have them open by the end of the year.

Two Middletown executives, who deal closely with local businesses, are excited that another vacant downtown property is being converted into useful space.

"We are happy to see the building being repurposed to fill a need of the community," said Rick Pearce, president of the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton.

He called the former newspaper office "a great old building" that offers plenty of parking and easy access with the ability to attract people downtown.

Jeff Payne, executive director of Middletown Downtown Inc., noted the building is located in the DORA and Scott's investment illustrates is "there are people who recognize the opportunities here in downtown Middletown."

The winery/bar, banquet halls and office space will help contribute to the revitalization of downtown and partner well with nearby businesses, Payne said.