SANFORD, Fla. — For years, the city of Sanford has undergone a transformation, but it has always kept its historic appeal.
An old warehouse on Oak Avenue has been around since 1918, and has been through quite a few changes in its time.
From a garage to a warehouse and even a hardware store, the 113-year-old structure has been a fixture of downtown Sanford.
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Orlando attorney Mark Nation bought the building with big plans to turn it into a New Orleans-style destination restaurant and distillery.
“With the outdoor dining, we have catwalks in the front and back distillery with a rooftop bar,” he said.
Workers have been busy building that vision, adding on a second story and an open stage, but it’s the historic details that will play a big role in its future.
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““My purpose is to restore, repurpose, and remember there were a lot of people that were inside the store when it was still a hardware store,” Nation said.
Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff said the combination of old and new is part of the city’s appeal.
“They really like that historic feel. We’ve worked hard to keep it,” Woodruff said.
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Nation says he hopes to have the building restored and open in the next six months.