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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 https://bit.ly/3qLUqS7
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 https://bit.ly/3lpx3gf
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 https://bit.ly/2OYq2qo
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 https://bit.ly/3vtO4L4
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 https://bit.ly/2Nj9ysz
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 http://www.thefortcollective.com
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
