The latest stop in our #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight series is Piqua. The town, which was briefly known in the 60’s as “The Atomic City” hasn’t had to deal with population loss like other Ohio #LegacyCities, but has still had to weather economic shifts and preservation of historic infrastructure to help keep it on the cutting edge.

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Today on the #GOPCThread, we check out the @CityofPiqua for another installment of our #OhioCommunitySpotlight series

Founded in 1807, #Piqua is located 27mi north of Dayton in Miami County. The name Piqua is derived from the Shawnee language and the area was home to the Miami people #GOPCThread

#Piqua had the first city-owned nuclear power plant from 1962-66, earning Piqua a short-lived nickname as “The Atomic City” #GOPCThread

While the city has not experienced population loss, growth has stalled in recent decades, and #Piqua has had to deal with economic shifts and maintaining historic infrastructure. Solid planning and leadership have kept Piqua at the cutting edge #GOPCThread

Today, #Piqua still has a large manufacturing presence, with major employers like @EvenfloBaby, @NittoAmericas, and @HartzellProp #GOPCThread

#Piqua received national recognition for its complete streets policy in 2013, named #9 in the nation out of more than 80 cities, states, and regions that passed similar legislation in the same year #GOPCThread

#Piqua residents have also demonstrated high-capacity responsiveness. In 2006, private and public sector partners raised $4M in 10 days to access Historic Tax Credit funding to save the Fort Piqua Plaza #GOPCThread

Federal and state grants and tax credits, along with fundraising efforts by the city, made the project possible. The project also used #CORF dollars.  In 2012, the Fort Piqua Plaza restoration earned the city an award from @SavingPlaces #GOPCThread

Fort Piqua Plaza currently houses the @PiquaLibrary, a chocolate and coffee shop, a fine dining restaurant, and a banquet facility. #GOPCThread

In recognition of the value of its Historic Downtown and to expand redevelopment efforts, #Piqua established a #CORE Fund in 2017 to provide gap financing for urban core projects. In its first year, the iPiqua fund surpassed its $1M year-end goal #GOPCThread

More recently, #Piqua began a new community-planning project to tweak development standards and improve the physical quality of their built environment. #CodePiqua builds upon prior planning exercises to create a user-friendly, modern code #GOPCThread

#CodePiqua directly ties back to recommendations made in the Plan It Piqua Comprehensive Plan. The new code will prioritize a streamlined permit system for new development and holistic transportation planning #GOPCThread

Strategic planning and collaboration are invaluable components to maintaining and building a vibrant community. Commitment by city leadership to engage residents and move on good ideas have contributed to @CityofPiqua ’s current success

Did we miss anything? Reply with your favorite Piqua project or fact and stay tuned for the next edition of GOPC’s Community Spotlight! #GOPCThread