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The former Cargo Warehouse Jeweler’s and Gallery, 699 Toledo St. in Vermilion, is the site of a new lodge called the Brēje Inn.
The Vermilion Historic Design and Review Board conducted a meeting April 10 where Brēje Inn owners Gary and Nicole Moyse, along with Lorain architect Gary Fischer, submitted plans for exterior design and renovation to keep the integrity of the building.
The building, which actually is a barn, still has its original wood frame under the siding that the couple plan to clean and refinish to match the interior design.
“Part of what we want to do is preserve that inside,” Fischer said. “The building has always kind of faded into the background where it sits.”
Plans include changing siding and color, adding doors, steps and a wheelchair ramp to the west side of the building to show the stairs facing that direction.
It also includes the addition of two porches with roof coverings and windows, according to Gary Moyse.
Due to the number of proposed changes, Judy Doll, a member of the Historic Design and Review Board, said it might be best if the group comes back with a full presentation equipped with all of the samples that will be used for changes including the decking, window materials and siding.
The Historic Design and Review Board also suggested using a board and batten siding on the black exterior as opposed to the proposed vertical siding.
“I like the concept,” Doll said. “I think the concept is very nice, and I think you’re headed in the right direction.
“This is a significant building for this village, and I think going forward, that in order to give our approval, it would be helpful to know what is the railing going to be, what’s the composition of the windows, what is the lighting.”
Despite minor changes to the presentation, the Historic Design and Review Board approved the group’s plan to install awnings, board and batten siding, and the balcony and porch structure.
“It’s gonna be great; we’re excited,” Doll said.
According to Nicole Moyse, her group has worked on numerous houses and have very similar taste when it comes to design and home decorating.
The future five-room “boutique hotel” is their perfect blank canvas, she said.
“We had looked at it and we fell in love with the character to it, and then revisited the idea to make it an inn,” Nicole Moyse said. “Our goal is to bring comfort to such a beautiful building that it is.”
Of the five rooms, three are the same size, one a little larger and the fifth is a “family suite,” Gary Moyse said.
The main floor is designed to be a common area with a sitting room, kitchen and doors to the outside deck where guests will have a view of the Vermilion River.
To add a touch of Vermilion history to the new space, Gary Moyse said he plans to hang old pictures of the inn inside the facility.
“I love history, so we want to have pictures throughout because there will be a large gathering area downstairs,” he said. “Half the downstairs almost will be a common living room, kitchen.”
Adding to the uniqueness of the inn, the name “Brēje” is made up of the first letters of each child’s name in the family, which adds a significant personal touch on the business, according to Gary Moyes.
“We tried to use their names to come up with name,” he said.
According to Gary Moyse, the couple took on this project to be closer to home for work, while incorporating themselves into the community on a larger scale with the help of connections including Vermilion Mayor Jim Forthofer, Main Street Vermilion and Shores & Islands Ohio.
“We’ve always wanted to do something like that, or fix something up and rent it out, whatever it may be,” he said. “We want to be closer to home and do something at home.
“We want to be part of the community. We live in the community, but also want to be part of the community in a business sense, too.”
Nicole Moyse said the experience of taking something that has “such memories to so many people and bring it back to life” is exciting for the couple.
The community has shown its support for the project, she said.
Forwarder Agent “It’s more the excitement of being successful in that fact that we had a vision and definitely want to see it come to life,” Nicole Moyse said. “So that, to me, is the most exciting.”