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Nightenhelser hopes to make old library a hub of activity once again

Todd Nightenhelser, the owner of TCB Games, stands outside the store’s new Huntington location at 44 E. Park Drive, which was built to serve as the Carnegie Free Library in 1903. In addition to his business, Nightenhelser hopes to attract other tenants to the building, with the goal of making it a hub of local activity once more.
Todd Nightenhelser, the owner of TCB Games, stands outside the store’s new Huntington location at 44 E. Park Drive, which was built to serve as the Carnegie Free Library in 1903. In addition to his business, Nightenhelser hopes to attract other tenants to the building, with the goal of making it a hub of local activity once more. Photo by Steve Clark.

The Carnegie Free Library used to be a hub of activity in Huntington.

“Everybody came here every day,” says Todd Nightenhelser, who’s researched the library, but also remembers going there as a child.

Up until May, though, the building had sat empty for the better part of a decade.

Nightenhelser has made it his mission to make the building a local hotspot once more. The owner of TCB Games, Nightenhelser moved his business into the building on May 17. The move, which saw TCB Games depart its longtime home at 515 N. Jefferson St., had been years in the making, as Nightenhelser had purchased the former library, located at 44 E. Park Drive, in late 2013.

The delay in moving stemmed from zoning and other issues. As Nightenhelser worked to resolve those issues, he was told by many people that he should consider demolishing the building – which, at over 100 years old, would be more trouble than it was worth, they remarked. While Nightenhelser had initially balked at those suggestions, as the years wore on, he began to consider them more and more. And, in late 2017, he finally started to give in.

“I had a quote to bulldoze this building and salvage anything they could out of it,” he says. “I would have actually made a profit on the salvage of the building.”

However, earlier this year, Nightenhelser was finally able to start making some headway on moving into the building. He repaired two of the structure’s biggest issues, a roof leak and main water valve leak. He also installed a fire alarm system and exit signs and posted maximum occupancy statements on each of the building’s three floors.

With those things and more accomplished, Nightenhelser finally got the go-ahead from the pertinent government entities to move in. He credits his employees, plus 15 to 20 customers, with stepping up to make the move happen.

“They’re all very proud of the building, as they should,” says Nightenhelser. “Because they had a hand in making it be something more than an empty shell that was likely to be bulldozed just six months ago.”

Prior to the building’s lengthy period of emptiness, it had served as the Huntington County Community School Corporation’s Instructional Services Center, which moved in after the library transitioned to its current location on 255 W. Park Drive. HCCSC departed the building in 2011.

While Nightenhelser is thrilled to have moved into a building that boasts almost 10,000 square feet – a big change from his business’ old location, which was only around 3,800 square feet – he knows his business will, ultimately, only occupy a portion of that space. Presently, TCB Games operates on the main level while portions of the upper level serve as storage and office areas for the business and the lower level is mostly disused. It’s Nightenhelser’s goal to bring other tenants into the building to fill those spaces.

“The goal is simple: make the space useable,” he says. “And grow entrepreneurial opportunities in the community.”

Nightenhelser says interest from prospective tenants in the lower level of the building has been steady. While any of those businesses would occupy a sizeable portion of the space, Nightenhelser is courting a smaller crowd for the upper level.

“This is what we’re going to be wanting to rent out to artists and small-business people that want to have an opportunity, but not the great expense,” he explains. “So, these small rooms are only 120 square feet, maybe.”

Nightenhelser is glad the building will be able to serve as a big tent for aspirations of all sizes. And he knows the synergy of those aspirations will be key to making this endeavor a successful one.

“It takes a community to build something greater than a small store,” he says.

As for Nightenhelser’s store, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, it specializes in card games, board games and video games – all of which Nightenhelser says customers can get a crash course on at the store.

“I have employees that are well-versed in all these games to teach anybody that would like to learn,” he states.

The store has a dedicated gaming room, plus a repair area where Nightenhelser’s employees can fix video game consoles.
Aside from games, the store carries comic books, movies and more.

“We take care of pretty much everything in the world of entertainment that you could possibly want,” says Nightenhelser.

The store is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

For more information, call the store at 358-0690 or email tcbtoddn@ gmail.com. The store is also on Facebook at TCB Games Huntington.

While Nightenhelser has made some improvements to the building, he has a long list of things that still need to be done. Because of the cost of those items, he has started a fund-raising campaign on Kick starter.com, which can be found by searching “TCB Games Restoration.” Nightenhelser hopes to raise $20,000.

Ultimately, Nightenhelser is excited to have the opportunity to shepherd the building’s renewal and fill it with people once more.

“I look at the building as it’s less mine as it is just the community’s that I have become the steward for,” he says.