After going away for college and a career as a teacher — including some time as the drama director at Hamilton High School — she now teaches for Hamilton’s Adult Basic Literacy Education program.
And that program has now taken up residency on the third floor of what is now being called the Historic JournalNews Building.
“It’s interesting to look out the same windows and see how things have changed,” Markoff said at an open house for the ABLE program on Thursday night.
With the move, the Historic JournalNews building is a fully-occupied arts and education facility, the result of a $2.5 million renovation.
The biggest tenant is the Butler Tech School for the Arts with classrooms, rehearsal spaces and common areas for its 130 students.
The Miami Valley Ballet Theatre also has studios on the southeast corner of the building.
With the move, ABLE has nearly doubled its space, according to coordinator Tawna Eubanks, and will have capacity to expand its program offerings.
“We are also now up-to-date with technology,” she said. “We have great Internet service and we can now use SmartBoards and other technology.
“The best part, though, is that the location is convenient for our clients,” she said. “Most of them are walkers, and being in a central downtown area has been great for them.”
Eubanks said she hopes the renewed energy in the building will inspire others to take a look at downtown Hamilton and bring businesses in, especially restaurants.
The original part of the building dates back to 1886. In 1914, it went through its first renovation and had additions for a printing press in 1955 and more warehouse space in 1969.
The renovation project by the Canton-based Historic Developers began shortly after Cox Media Group closed the building in August 2011, in a consolidation effort to move operations to its Liberty Twp. facility.
Historic Developers have also purchased the Robinson-Schwenn building, also known as the Opera House, that abuts the rear of the Historic JournalNews Building. It faces High Street and is home to Miami Hamilton Downtown and Koffenya Coffee House.
Historic Developers is also the investment firm behind the renovation of the Historic Mercantile Lofts on High Street.
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