For this weeks #GOPCThread, our Ohio Community Spotlight Series returns with highlights of Ohio of Ohio’s Small-Mid-Size Legacy Cities, Chillicothe. Home of Ohio’s first state capitol, Chillicothe has done much in the past few years to revitalize from its industrial past.
Not on Twitter, the thread is available online , as well as below.
Greater Ohio Policy Center Read on Twitter
Today, GOPC would like to spotlight Ohio’s first & third capital, the City of Chillicothe in southern Ohio. Chillicothe is the county seat of Ross County and has a population of around 21,000. #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
Chillicothe is located along the Scioto River in Appalachia’s foothills & offers many outdoor experiences: State Parks (Scioto Trail & Great Seal), paddling Paint Creek, Buzzard's Roost, bike trails, @TecumsehDrama, & more. For more to-dos: @RossChillicothe #GOPCThread
Paint Creek Recreational Trail is a paved, 32-mile path on an abandoned railroad—connecting Chillicothe & Washington Court House. Tri-County Triangle Trail was influential in this project; today, it continues to support recreational trails in Chillicothe & beyond. #GOPCThread
Chillicothe is a legacy city with an industrial past that has lost significant population since its peak. It is part of GOPC’s Reinvention Cities Network, which advocates for shared policy goals & promotes learning among peer cities. Learn more #GOPCThread
Reinvention Cities Network | Greater Ohio Policy Center (click image for link)
Chillicothe has a centuries-old manufacturing legacy; it served as the 1st location for the Mead, one of the nation’s largest paper manufacturers. The paper mill is still open today as Pixelle Specialty Solutions. @ChilliGaz has the history #GOPCThread
Paper City: A Look at the History of Paper Making in Chillicothe, Ohio | Chillicothe Gazette (click image for link)
70% of residents in the labor force work outside Chillicothe’s boundaries. 13K people work in the City; most (nearly 81% of workers) live outside the municipal boundaries. Major employers include: Adena Regional Medical Center, Kenworth, & Pixelle Specialty Solutions. #GOPCThread
After years of population loss, Chillicothe is rebounding. Its efforts to revitalize downtown earned recognition from the @Ohio_SE, a @JobsOhio local affiliate, for “Best Downtown Revitalization Effort in 2019” #GOPCThread
Chillicothe Receives APEG Award: Best Downtown Revitalization Effort | Greater Chillicothe & Ross County, Ohio Development (click image for link)
After burning down in 2003, the historic Carlisle Building’s 2015 renovation served as a catalyst for downtown’s reinvigoration. The project, originally built in 1885, was developed by @Chesler_Group, designed by Schooley Caldwell, & Adena Health System leases it. #GOPCThread
The Carlisle Building’s $8M renovation converted it into office space & 32 apartments for Adena staff, utilizing historic preservation tax credits & support from contributors, like @JobsOhio, the City, Chillicothe Ross Community Foundation, & Ross County CIC. #GOPCThread
The Carlisle Building is on the National Register of Historic Places; it is 1 of 16 landmarks in the City, including Thomas Worthington’s House, the historic Chillicothe Business District, its Old Residential District, various Native American mounds, & others. #GOPCThread
Chillicothe is also on the Great Seal of Ohio, which shows a sun rising over fields & Mount Logan. 13 sun rays symbolize the first 13 original colonies; wheat represents agriculture & 17 arrows represent Ohio's Native Americans & our status as the 17th state #GOPCThread
All anxiously await Our Town: Chillicothe on the City’s history, set to premiere Fall 2021. @woub’s Evan Shaw says, “I think there are so many amazing stories that people don’t know. I’m excited that we are going to be able to share them.” #GOPCThread
Video: WOUB Releases Trailer for “Our Town: Chillicothe (click image for link)
In 2018, Downtown Chillicothe, a nonprofit, started helping revitalize downtown by supporting businesses, investors, & the community create an inviting atmosphere & harness economic opportunity. It administers Build Chillicothe, a fund for opportunity zone projects. #GOPCThread
In 2019, Chillicothe got its 1st luxury apartments above Paper City Coffee to spark interest in downtown investment & living. The space previously sat vacant for 40+ years, & now has 4 apartments, around 1,100+ SF renting for around $1K/month #GOPCThread
Chillicothe’s First Downtown Luxury Apartments Are Completed | Chillicothe Gazette (click image for link)
To foster more small businesses & entrepreneurs in Chillicothe, The Fort Collective, an incubator space downtown, provides private offices, meeting space, the City’s first coffee roastery, & other retail spaces #GOPCThread
The Fort Collective (click image for link)
In 2017, Chillicothe approved a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area in downtown that allowed for alcoholic beverages to be consumed outdoors. Since then, this legislation has been expanded, which helped small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. #GOPCThread
Keep up the great work, Paper City! Stay tuned for another #OHCommunitySpotlight next month #GOPCThread
