“Downtown uptick and Buckeye Lake dam repair were two of the decade's biggest stories - Lancaster Eagle Gazette” plus 2 more

Downtown uptick and Buckeye Lake dam repair were two of the decade's biggest stories - Lancaster Eagle Gazette
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Downtown uptick and Buckeye Lake dam repair were two of the decade's biggest stories - Lancaster Eagle Gazette

Posted: 31 Dec 2019 07:49 AM PST

LANCASTER - The past decade was one of immense change in Fairfield County.

For example, the county commissioners got a new jail built. Downtown Lancaster has much more activity than it did in 2009 with several new shops and restaurants opening, along with the revitalization of the Mithoff building.

Several businesses have opened in the Rock Mill Industrial Park and Fairfield Medical Center completed a $38 million expansion in 2015 and recently opened a new complex off Memorial Drive.

Also, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources completed the $107 million renovation of the Buckeye Lake dam in 2018, which spans Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties.

Downtown Renaissance

Downtown Lancaster is a good place to start when comparing 2009 to 2019 because some of the changes are obvious to see with more business openings and fewer vacant storefronts.

"It's really exciting to see all of the growth and changes that have happened," Destination Downtown Lancaster Executive Director Amanda Everitt said. "We're really shaping this downtown into what we need and want and what we deserve as Lancastrians."

She said one of the bigger changes is the expected development of the former Lancaster Glass site at Main Street and Memorial Drive.

"I think it's interesting that 10 years ago the gateway site where Lancaster Glass had sat for so long was empty," Everitt said. "There was a lot of concern, a lot of talk about what was going to be done with that."

Fairfield Homes recently purchased the site and plans to start building an apartment complex there in the spring. Everitt said that project is one of the major downtown projects and will bring young professionals and retirees to downtown.

"That's exciting because it has been sitting there for so long now," she said. "No one really knew what was going to be done with that. It's such an important space in our downtown. So I think that's certainly notable."

Another major change downtown is the preservation of the Mithoff Building at Main and Columbus streets.

Company Wrench owner Brad Hutchinson bought the building from the city for $1 and spent $3.5 million of his own money to renovate it. He now rents out commercial and residential space in it. The city was close to demolishing the building before Hutchinson bought it.

The last 10 years has also seen an influx of downtown restaurants like The Well, Ale House 1890 and O'Huids Gaelic Pub, among others.

"When we think about 10 years ago and people would come downtown, where did they have to go to eat?" Everitt said. "There were only five or six restaurants in 2009, depending on where you hit within the year. And this year we have 10 restaurants that we can go and eat real food. Not to mention, we have our brewery now. Our very own brewery. Coffee shops. We have a bakery. It's absolutely a different landscape."

Not here in 2009 was the Pearl House, an apartment complex for recovering substance abusers on Chestnut Street and Memorial Drive. The plan drew a lot of criticism when Fairfield Homes and The Recovery Center announced it in 2011. The building opened in 2014.

"There were so many people that felt that was going to be terrible for the downtown," Everitt said. "And we look now at how downtown is thriving and we learn from those mistakes in the past. Sometimes, it's not what you think it's going to be. These things can have a positive impact on the downtown. You had a multi-million investment on that corner."

Everitt said the downtown has progressed for a variety of reasons. She said one was the fact that people were unfulfilled with suburban sprawl and not connected to the places where they lived.

"We so connected to our digital devices that we're craving that sense of purpose and connectivity with our communities," Everitt said. "That's the wonderful thing about downtown areas, is that they have a distinct sense of place.

Elsewhere in the City

Mayor David Scheffler said the downtown area is thriving, especially when compared to 2009. But other parts of the city are also doing well. Scheffler named several current businesses that did not exist in 2009, including SRI Ohio, Phoenix Electrotek and Mid West Coatings. All three of those are manufacturing plants.

Additionally, Magna International plans to open an automotive seating plant in the Rock Mill Industrial Park and hire 300 workers in the coming years.

Scheffler said the city also has three work sites that are ready for a company to move into that it didn't have 10 years ago.

Another major change in the past 10 years is the five new elementary school buildings Lancaster City Schools have recently opened.

Scheffler said the schools are an important piece of economic development because businesses always ask about the local school system when considering moving into an area. He said that includes Magna International officials who wanted to know all about the area's education opportunities.

Scheffler said the city's population has increased from around 38,000 people in 2010 to around 40,000 now. An increase in population no doubt means a need for emergency services, and he said police and fire call numbers reflect that.

For example, the police department had 59,000 calls in in 2009 and 69,000 last year. The city fire department has also seen an increase in calls. It had 7,600 fire and medic runs, with more than 10,000 this year.

On the County Front

On the county level, the Buckeye Lake dam renovation project is certainly one of the most important stories of the decade. The U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers in 2015 said the dam had structural deficiencies and the potential for catastrophic failure. The work started that summer.

"When that was first announced it was earth-shattering," Levacy said.

He said the $110 million project was the largest capital project the Ohio Department of Natural Resources had ever undertaken. It was originally estimated to cost $150 million, but ended up costing about $40 million less than expected.

The state finished the work in 2018 which was about two years ahead of original five-year schedule. In addition to the dam, there is also a new access path that extends the entire length of the barrier for running, walking and biking.

The state lowered the water level on the lake to a level that was not usable for boats for two years after discovering the problems. The state then raised to a still lower, but usable level for two years after that before completing the dam project. There were at least 60 businesses on the lake that were directly affected by the low-water level.

"I think there were some businesses that weren't able to weather the storm," Levacy said. "But I think by and large, the businesses that were involved, they took a different approach. They tightened their belt and they were able to weather the storm. And because of that, I think those businesses that went through that are better businesses today."

But the dam is not the only county story of the decade, however.

Levacy said the county has done well financially the past 10 years. The decade started on the heels of the 2008-2010 national recession, which Levacy said might actually have been a depression. He owns Buckeye Lake Marina in Millersport and said he saw the effects of the recession to his industry.

"It was a difficult time," Levacy said. "I took office in 2013, but I was aware of the things the commissioners of that time had to adjust to."

He said some of those adjustments included cutting back on the number of employees and having some employees fill multiple positions.

However, Levacy said the diversity of industries in Fairfield County helped the county survive the tough economic times.

Levacy said while the county better off financially now that 10 years ago, he said it is not better off in other ways. He said the county has not done well in the fight against substance abuse, including the opioid epidemic.

"In that regard, no, we're not better off," Levacy said. "And we have a long ways to go in that regard. But I do think that it's gotten everybody's attention, and especially from the governor (Mike DeWine) on down. They actually looked at this and what is the best method to combat this."

Levacy said those methods must include both incarceration and treatment. He also said its important to educate the youth on substance abuse and that DeWine is big on that.

The county has a 110,000 square-foot new jail to incarcerate its inmates after opening it in 2017 at 345 Lincoln Ave. The nearly $35 million project was controversial, as some said the construction would damage the city's water supply since it sits near the city's water source.

Levacy said one of the reasons he became a county commissioner was to get a new jail built.

"This was something that I knew had been discussed for years," he said. "It probably went back to about 20 years of talking about the jail. I knew it was a big priority."

With the opening of the jail, the county demolished the old jail on Main Street and turned it into a parking lot.

Business Growth

Lancaster-Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce President Travis Markwood said Fairfield County has experienced an increase in consumer and investor confidence since the recession 10 years ago. He said that confidence strengthens the local economy in several ways, including business growth and more jobs.

Markwood said business owners in the past decade have expanded their businesses, bought equipment and expanded their product offerings.

"More jobs and better-paying jobs also has led to other major community improvements in terms of all the new schools in the Lancaster city school system," he said.

Markwood said when companies are looking to locate to an area they are looking at what other businesses are doing, along with the school system and workforce. He said Magna International's decision to open a plant in Lancaster and South Central Power's plan to build new headquarters in the Rockmill Industrial Park are prime examples of that.

While officials say the past decade has been good to Fairfield County from an economic development standpoint, Markwood said that trend should not change.

"With the momentum we are carrying into the next decade, I expect investment in our community to continue," he said. "Along with this investment we will hopefully see more jobs, better wages and a thriving economy."

jbarron@gannett.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron

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Photos: PHOTOS: Highlights 2019 - III - Havelock News

Posted: 31 Dec 2019 03:25 PM PST

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Posted: 31 Dec 2019 10:04 AM PST

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