Atlee Building team honors history, ushers in future
The memorial honoring former lawyer and statesman Atlee Pomerene serves as a reminder of the past at the new Atlee Building. The Pomerene House once stood where the new building currently resides, but keeping alive the legacy of Pomerene was important to the team erecting the new building.
The crowded streets of Berlin were a little more crowded on Friday, Oct. 13 when a large contingency of people came to share in the grand opening of the new Atlee Building, located where the former historical Atlee Pomerene House once stood.
The Atlee Building has been under construction for some time, and all of its participants were eager to officially open the building.
The four businesses located in the new Atlee Building include Blue Sky Café, S. Flynn Home and S. Flynn Design Build, Remedy Salon & Spa, and five Atlee Building suites that will serve as Air B&B accommodations.
Tom and Dawn Lee, Kyle and Sadie Beachy, and Zach and Sarah Lee make up the team that has made the new Atlee Building possible, and they understand how much the Pomerene House and its history meant to the community.
During the dedication Tom Lee spoke at length about the importance of maintaining the Atlee Pomerene history in the property.
“One thing that was important to us from the beginning was to honor the legacy of Atlee Pomerene and his family,” Lee said. “That is a huge part of the Berlin community and history. What he and his family left behind as a legacy is still prominent today, and so honoring him and the family was extremely important to us.”
Lee pointed out that the monument to Atlee Pomerene now stands near the arched entrance to the property. The monument was removed during construction and cleaned before being placed. In addition, two of the doors on the second floor of the building are the original doors from the Pomerene House, and there are many articles and photographs of the Pomerene family located in the café.
Lee presented a short history on Atlee Pomerene, a lawyer and statesman who was prominent in the Berlin area. In addition to his many accomplishments, his entire family consisted of many well-respected people, with his father Peter being a renowned surgeon and four of his siblings physicians. Two became lawyers, and Pomerene Hospital was named after his uncle Joel Pomerene.
Eventually, Pomerene served in the U.S. Senate and even unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for president.
Lee also thanked the community for its support throughout the building process, noting their encouragement kept motivating the ownership team to stay focused through the completion of the project.
“That support meant a lot because we really wanted to do something that the community would appreciate, so it was wonderful to hear those positive comments,” Lee said.
Sadie Beachy then talked about the building itself and the path it took in becoming what it is today.
“I want to personally thank the Atlee leadership team,” Beachy said. “You trusted us with your vision, and that is not an opportunity we take for granted. You have poured your hearts and souls into making this vision a reality.”
Beachy went on to note the Atlee Building isn’t just a building but rather a symbol of unity and collaboration, and now all of its occupants are eager to become part of the business community of Berlin.
“We look forward to growing and thriving together,” Beachy said. “We have the privilege of extending this into a physical space right here in the heart of Berlin.”
Janet Flickinger, director of operations for the Berlin Main Street Merchants, welcomed the businesses to the Berlin community and said while most everyone was saddened by the razing of the Pomerene House, watching the memories and history disappear, this day and this building mark a rejuvenation of Atlee Pomerene’s name and family with how the team rebuilt so much of the history back into the property.
“This is a stunning new building that will create its own legacy in Berlin,” Flickinger said.
Tiffany Gerber, executive director of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, said this building is another example of how the area can serve visitors coming into the area while also providing for the local community.
“To combine businesses that serve both the visiting public and the folks that live here is part of the vitality of Berlin,” Gerber said.
Finally, the Lee and Beachy families gathered together to celebrate the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that ushered in a time of people exploring the new building and its assets.
In mulling over what type of businesses they wanted to bring into the Atlee Building, Zach Lee said things simply fell into place.
He said they had always discussed a coffee and doughnut shop for the community, and that was always a central point. When S. Flynn got involved and Liz Beachy came to them looking to open her salon, the main businesses were in place. They all agreed the second-floor suites would be a perfect way to top off the building.
His wife Sarah Lee said the building’s concept is a modern take on a building they believe will fit into the Berlin landscape perfectly, representing the past, present and future.