Exciting things Chillicothe can look forward to this year
CHILLICOTHE— Every year the city takes on several projects of various sizes, from upgrading buildings to creating entirely new spaces for the community. With the new year, here are some of the projects and celebrations Chillicothe residents can look forward to seeing take place.
"We plan to hit the ground running in 2023 with some of these projects," said Asti Powell, Director of Planning & Development. "I think it will be good for the community."
Sixth Ward Park
The sixth ward of Chillicothe is expected to get its first-ever park this year thanks to a land donation from former Councilwoman Pat Patrick. Community input, through the Engage Chillicothe website, will help determine what type of park the land will become as well the end design. A final design is expected to be presented in March with construction starting and ending this year as well.
Feast of the Flowering Moon Anniversary
The Fest of the Flowering Moon is celebrated every year over Memorial Day Weekend in Yoctangee Park. The festival celebrates the history of Native Americans in Chillicothe. It is a family-friendly event with different vendors and entertainment. This year will be the 40th anniversary of the celebration.
World Heritage Designation
The official designation of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks to the UNESCO World Heritage List is expected to take place this summer. Being added to this list will allow the site to be better preserved for future generations and bring more tourism to the surrounding areas.
The sites included in this designation are the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park including the Mound City Group, Hopewell Mound Group, Seip Earthworks, High Bank Earthworks, Hopeton Earthworks, Newark Earthworks State Memorial including Octagon Earthworks, Great Circle Earthworks, and the Fort Ancient State Memorial.
In addition to the upcoming designation the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park will be celebrating its centennial this year.
Wastewater Treatment Plant
The multi-year wastewater treatment plant renovations are expected to start this year. The facility currently runs 24 hours a day seven days a week processing over two million gallons of wastewater per day. Since the plant is unable to stop repairs will be done in sections to keep it operational. These repairs are expected to finish in 2026 and will result in a better working, and less smelly, wastewater treatment plant.
Thomas Worthington's Birthday
Thomas Worthington was the sixth Governor of Ohio and owner of the 2000-acre estate in Chillicothe that houses the Adena Mansion. He is also known for helping lobby for Ohio to become a state. Worthington was born on July 16, 1773 and his 250th birthday will be celebrated this year.
Paving Projects
It is important to keep the roads we drive on safe and drivable, this is why Chillicothe has many paving projects coming up this year. They include a repaving of the Mary Lou Patton Park parking lot and a project on Belview Avenue where new stormwater infrastructure will be put in place and the road repaved.
An app, called See Click Fix, is also expected to become available for Chillicothe citizens this year. It lets drivers report potholes, with pictures and exact location, directly to the service department.
Adoption of the Comprehensive Plan
The comprehensive plan for the city is currently in its final draft. This plan will be used as the key policy document and operating guide for how the city should change over the next 10 to 15 years. It helps to show what projects the city values and what direction the community wants to go. In the plan, there are seven goals and 73 actions listed. Work towards reaching these goals is expected to start this year.
"There was a lot of time and energy put into coming up with the plan," said Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney. "This year will be using that time and energy executing it."
ARPA Spending Plan
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a $1.9 trillion federal rescue plan that was designed to help communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19, from this plan the City of Chillicothe received $2,275,403. This money is only able to be spent on approved resources. To help decide what the money should be used for public engagement was held last year to determine what was the most important, these sessions generated over 300 different ideas on what to do with the money.
After many discussions, 10 projects were selected for funding. Infrastructure projects include a stormwater infrastructure plan, a sidewalk repair program and MARCS radios for the fire department. In public spaces projects include city park upgrades, improving lighting in public spaces and improvements to the amphitheater and armory. I housing projects include homelessness assistance, an affordable housing program and a home repair program. Finally, a basic life skills program is set to be funded.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Exciting things Chillicothe can look forward to this year
