Vernon Street building is newly renovated

The building at 311 Vernon Street in downtown Ironton has been many things, it was a Mary Kay store for years, and most recently, it was a barbershop.

Now owner Randy Hankins has it ready for the next client.

Hankins has been renovating the storefront building. “The space is right around 1,500 square feet,” Hankins said. It even has two large windows that face the street. “It kind of has that old time look to it.”

The building was built around 100 years ago, possibly in the 1924. Hankins said they have tried to keep in the style of that era.

“That’s why we went with a checker board floor tile, to go with the age of the building,” he said. “You don’t want to look too modern.”

Besides the new floor tiles, there is “orange peel” textured drywall on the walls which were freshly painted, and crown molding to update it without losing the older feel. Instead of just a single square space, there is an office; a storage room and even a small break room with new cabinets. It even has an ADA compliant bathroom.

He isn’t done yet.

“I would like to do more renovations on the outside,” Hankins said, adding he is working with the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization on that.

As for renter, Hankins has had some offers but he’s looking for a certain type of store and store owner since he invested quite a bit of money in the building.

“I have had quite a bit of interest in it, but I really hate to put just any kind of business in here,” he said. “I would love to have something like an antique store. That’s what Ironton needs downtown, more specialty stores. Something like that, I think it would go over well.”

He said there are many buildings for rent in downtown Ironton but “none of them compare as to condition. This place is like new. Every time it becomes available we do something to fix it up.”

Hankins has plans to do more renovations on the whole building.

There are six apartments upstairs in the building.

“I’m not renting them or anything,” Hankins said. “I’m planning on completely renovating all the apartments up there.”

After he gets that building rented, Hankins plans to start renovations on the adjoining building which used to house New Images salon on the corner of Vernon and S. Third streets.

“I try to do one at a time,” he said.