Ohio's capital budget funds three Ross County projects

Megan Becker, Chillicothe Gazette
·3 min read

CHILLICOTHE— The Ohio House and Senate approved the state's capital budget Thursday which includes almost half a million dollars for three Ross County projects.

The projects include the Paint Creek Recreational Trail, Tecumseh! Actors Village improvements and the Pump House Center for the Arts improvements for a total of $492,000.

The Pump House

The Pump House Center for the Arts will receive $127,000 for exterior repairs and landscaping. John Payne, Pump House director, said the money will be used to replace 350 exterior bricks and 14 sandstone lintels.

"It'll make the Pump House stand another 100 years," Payne said.

The project is scheduled to begin in 2023. The Pump House also received a $10,000 grant for painting from the Schaefer Foundation.

Tecumseh! Actors Village

Blue Jacket (Colin Swackhammer) rides through water in the 2021 production of the Tecumseh! drama at Sugarloaf Mountain.
Blue Jacket (Colin Swackhammer) rides through water in the 2021 production of the Tecumseh! drama at Sugarloaf Mountain.

The Tecumseh! Actors Village will be receiving $150,000 to go toward long-awaited renovations.

Brandon Smith, CEO of the Scioto Society, said the dressing rooms were built in 1972 and have not been drastically changed since.

"Over the past few years, we've done lots of upgrades here. I'm sure it's well over a million dollars in upgrades over the past couple of years," Smith said. "But very little of it has been concentrated on the experience of the actor... It's all been concentrated to make the customer experience more comfortable and better."

The renovations will include new plumbing and electrical. There is currently no heat or air conditioning, so an HVAC system will be installed.

The bathroom will change from one large communal shower to individual pod-style showers for privacy. The size of the kitchen will be doubled to create more storage space and a place for actors to eat.

Smith hopes that the improvements will help to recruit actors for next season. Preparations for the renovation will begin this summer and will tentatively be completed by next summer.

"I'm competing with Disney World. I'm competing with Cedar Point. I'm competing with every other outdoor drama in the country, every renaissance festival in the country, every Shakespeare festival in the world," Smith said. "Any edge that we can have when we're recruiting actors is going to be advantageous for us and this will certainly be a big step in that direction."

Paint Creek Trail

A trail at Paint Creek State Park which was recently cleared by a group of volunteers.
A trail at Paint Creek State Park which was recently cleared by a group of volunteers.

The Ross County Park District will receive $215,000 for the Paint Creek Trail improvements from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The 32-mile trail currently starts in Washington Court House and extends to US 23/35 at the Scioto River. The park district received a $150,000 grant in March to extend the path to reach the Dollar General on Western Avenue, adding a half-mile to the path.

More: Paint Creek Recreational Path to get extension

Other County Projects

In Pike County, the Cave Lake Dam will receive $225,000 and the Pike Heritage Museum will receive $60,000.

In Pickaway County, five projects will receive funding for a total of $900,000:

  • The Everts Athletic and Arts Community Center - $250,000

  • Pickaway County Memorial Hall - $225,000

  • Tarlton Community Building - $75,000

  • Pickaway County Community Foundation Children's Museum - $200,000

  • Ohio Christian University Organic Chemistry Laboratories - $150,000

State-Wide

The legislation also includes $100 million for school safety grants state-wide, which will help public and private schools address local building security needs.

Other highlights of the bill include:

  • $600 million for school building construction, renovation and repair through the state’s school facilities program.

  • $457 million for colleges and universities.

  • $400 million for the Public Works Commission to help communities with local road, bridge, water and sewer projects.

  • $587 million for state parks and nature preserves.

  • $50 million for the construction and renovation of county jails. Priority would be given to facilities with the greatest needs, as well as projects that would substantially improve the condition, safety and operational ability of the jail.

The capital budget will go to Governor Mike DeWine's desk for signing.

Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: 2022 capital budget funds three Ross County projects