By Rodney Harwood Sentinel Editor

Historic Cottage Grove building to be restored by Ryan Thomas Construction

RODNEY HARWOOD / THE SENTINEL

Ryan Thomas goes over details of construction with Matt Rossback in preparation of starting the historic remodel of the building at 602 E. Main.

Like a lot of architecture built in the early 1900s, the stairway going upstairs at the two-story brick building at 602 E. Main Street is at a steep pitch, but owner and developer Ryan Thomas bound up almost effortlessly.

The building in the iconic Cottage Grove downtown has been a landmark in for close to 120 years. Over the years, it has been home to several businesses. A theater occupied the east side of the first floor. Long and

Cruson Service Garage occupied the west side of the building while Hemenway Dry Goods occupied the east side. Knickerbockers Variety Store occupied the entire first floor in 1940 and operated continuously until 1988.

It's been part of the downtown landscape for quite some time. When Thomas bought the two-story brick building on Main Street in 2022, it was like purchasing a 9,000 square foot canvas painted by a master.

Even though the building is currently in disrepair, his vison for The Bohemia Inn is clear and focused. It was as if the creator, designer, construction superintendent could see the finished product as he stood in the vacant former office space, pointing out where the upstairs guest rooms would be, a planned staircase and a common lounge looking out over the downtown district below.

Occasionally, he’d have to use the flashlight on his cell phone to walk through the corridors because lighting needs to be replaced. But his plan to restore the building to its former glory was clear in his minds-eye. The transformation of turning it into a historic, boutique hotel is underway.

Thomas has been laying the foundation with broad strokes as he prepares to add the finer details over the next couple of years. The Bohemia Inn will include a restaurant, retail space and 10 guest rooms. Design plans call for nine guest rooms upstairs with a shared lounge overlooking historic East Main Street.

The first floor will include a restaurant with a west main entrance. The original second entrance on the east side will be brought back to the building façade for access. There will be a 10th guest room with wheelchair accessibility and a commercial retail space at ground level, he said as if playing it out in the reel in his head.