OTTAWA, OH (WLIO) -Â Locals gathered for a big announcement in the Village of Ottawa on Wednesday, unveiling plans to have two major buildings downtown restored by the summer of 2024.
Several agencies and business leaders revealed their new "Main Street Corridor Project," a plan that aims to breathe new life back into the historic DuMont and DeFord buildings in downtown Ottawa. In about a year, these upgraded buildings will be open for new office space, lodging, retail, and hospitality businesses. Officials say the completion will bring 30 new jobs to the businesses currently housed in those locations alone, and more traffic to other existing downtown businesses.
"We think it's really going to facilitate more engagement in the downtown, we think more people will just be out and about, we think other businesses will likely see that obviously want to capture some of that energy," explains Dan Stechschulte, owner and partner of DuMont Revitalization LLC.
The large number of people who came out to hear the news and tour the buildings is a testament to how involved the community has been in the downtown revitalization process, and how excited they are about what's to come.
"One of the reasons we think people are here is because we've created public gathering spaces, and what the community has told us is that they crave experiences and places where they can go and belong and be with other people," says Amy Sealts, the Director of Economic Development for the Putnam County Community Improvement Corporation.
Efforts to revitalize downtown Ottawa are in no small part thanks to the organizations like the Putnam County C.I.C. coming together to invest over four million dollars into making their strategic growth plan a reality. It's that kind of teamwork and passion that helped the village secure a one-million-dollar Vibrant Community Grant from JobsOhio. The non-profit says that this hard work is what convinces leaders of major corporations to come to the state.
"Ultimately, he's not only going to decide what is the best deal for his company, but he's also going to think, 'Where do I want to live, where do I want to raise my family, where do I think I can attract a good workforce. I think this is a good example of what's unique about Ohio are these great communities and these great environments we have across the state," says Terry Slaybaugh, the Vice President of Sites and Infrastructure at JobsOhio.
