Our Ever-Changing Town Center
T
here is a collage of photos displayed on the wall just around the corner from my office in City Hall. The scenes are snapshots from various perspectives of Broadway, Park and Columbus streets during a time when horses were the main mode of transportation and steam engines stopped nearby to pick up passengers headed on long trips. I pass by the collage multiple times a day and I’m reminded of just how far our Town Center has come. How strange it would be if we never updated the original streetscape. Enter one of the most challenging parts of a developing community – change. Without change, nothing would mature or flourish. Accommodating shifts in commerce would not be possible. We couldn’t advance the necessary infrastructure for new neighbors and businesses or maintain the charm we all appreciate. Town Center functions as the heart of our community – our “living room” as I like to call it – and is consistently identified as one of Grove City’s most valuable assets. It’s where we gather to celebrate holidays, shop fresh market foods on summer weekends, share memorable experiences and enjoy shopping and dining. Our Homecoming Celebration (which we missed these past two years and will return in 2022) and EcoFest are held in the center of it all. As is one of the biggest events our community hosts – Arts in the Alley.
Connect with us! 6 November/December 2021
The allure of Town Center is undeniable. Therefore, attention and awareness of its significance are at the forefront when considering revitalization efforts and planning for the historic area. Managing the growth of the area over the last 170 years has served us well. For example, the Columbus Street extension to Beulah Park was necessary to connect the new neighborhood to Town Center. It also made way for a larger plaza area where new traditions will grow. When the uninhabitable building on Park Street, once home to the library, was demolished, a wonderful opportunity to develop a new city-centered park surfaced. We’re now looking forward to lighting an additional City Christmas tree in the park. We all face change – whether it is a sudden change in weather (welcome to Ohio), our schedule or a change of venue. The best changes, however, are the ones that surprise us with their gifts and lead us to unimagined benefits.
Mayor Richard L. “Ike” Stage
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