March 29, 201015 yr Land purchase would expand Foundation Park By Cheryl S. Splain, Mount Vernon News March 23, 2010 MOUNT VERNON — On Monday, City Council gave the administration approval to enter into negotiations to buy land to further develop Foundation Park. The four parcels total 3.116 acres. The land lies adjacent to the park, on the eastern edge of what is called East Lake. It involves the abandoned railroad bed that runs from Centerburg to south of The Station Break. “As part of the development of Foundation Park, we felt we needed the land to join the Kokosing Gap Trail with the Heart of Ohio Trail,” said Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis. Mavis said the land has been appraised, and the money is available for the purchase. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/10/03/23/land-purchase-would-expand-foundation-park
May 13, 201015 yr County RPC updating comprehensive plan By Mark S. Jordan, Mount Vernon News April 21, 2010 MOUNT VERNON — Work has begun on updating the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, according to Regional Planning Commission secretary Darrel Severns. The two most recent updates were in 1998 and 2006, he added, explaining that updates are designed to take place every five to seven years. “The comprehensive plan is designed to be a collaborative effort among members of the community who work to decide the direction of the region in the short and long term,” Severns said. The 2006 Knox County Comprehensive Plan can be accessed and downloaded from the county Web site at http://co.knox.oh.us/offices/rp/images/KCRPCompPlan.pdf. Full article: http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/10/04/21/county-rpc-updating-comprehensive-plan
May 13, 201015 yr Kenyon will break ground this summer on a new set of student housing. The new housing will replace a large surface lot and previous student housing that were prefabricated (mobile home style). The new townhomes will aim for LEED designation.
September 15, 20177 yr Kenyon College plans construction, renovations with record $75M gift Kenyon College is planning several new buildings following a $75 million donation – the largest in the Knox County school's history. Kenyon College announced Friday it had received the gift from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. With it, the school plans to construct a new quad with several buildings over the next four years. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/09/15/kenyon-college-plans-construction-renovations-with.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 16, 20177 yr Report from the Dispatch on the $75 million donation to Kenyon College and a larger rendering of the proposed new campus quad with new buildings: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170915/anonymous-donor-gives-kenyon-college-75-million
January 28, 20187 yr Sections of huge industrial site up for lease in Mount Vernon A major industrial site has been targeted for reuse in Mount Vernon. About 358,356 square feet of space is up for lease at the Siemens Energy Inc. plant on N. Sandusky Street near downtown Mount Vernon in Knox County. The listing is being taken on by CBRE's Kevin Connor and Weston Devore. CBRE data show that the company is leasing about half a dozen buildings on its campus, including three industrial plants, some storage space and testing facilities. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/01/26/sections-of-hugeindustrial-site-up-for-lease-in.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 3, 20196 yr Check out Mount Vernon's historic opera house after $22.5M renovation Mount Vernon's Woodward Opera House has competed a $22.5 million facelift and is ready to show off its new look. The theater is holding a grand opening celebration Feb. 9 with a performance by Grammy Award-winning country music singer Kathy Mattea. The Knox County landmark has had a number of uses over the years, from a movie theater and office space to a gymnasium and retail storefronts. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/03/photos-check-out-mount-vernons-historic-opera.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 3, 20196 yr Congrats to Mt. Vernon on completing the opera house project! Many good people have been working a long time to achieve this.
August 26, 20195 yr I came over to this Mount Vernon thread to post some downtown redevelopment news. But before I do that, I just wanted to comment on how wonderful this Woodward Opera House renovation turned out. It is especially amazing considering the condition the building was in before its renovation. Before-and-after images from https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/03/photos-check-out-mount-vernons-historic-opera.html EXTERIOR - BEFORE EXTERIOR - AFTER INTERIOR - BEFORE INTERIOR - AFTER
August 26, 20195 yr I came across a 2017 Columbus Dispatch article about how a local private family foundation - the Ariel Foundation started by the president and CEO of Mount Vernon-based Ariel Corporation - and three universities - Kenyon College located two miles from Mount Vernon in the village of Gambier, Central Ohio Technical College, and Mount Vernon Nazarene University, whose main campus is located just south of downtown - are partnering to buy and renovate vacant buildings in downtown Mount Vernon. https://www.dispatch.com/news/20170404/colleges-fill-empty-buildings-in-downtown-mount-vernon According to the article, Central Ohio Technical College, which has its main campus in Newark and other branches in Pataskala and Coshocton, was the first to see the opportunity for higher education in downtown Mount Vernon. With the help of the Ariel Foundation, COTC acquired an old two-theater cinema on South Main Street more than a decade ago, then raised $5.7 million during the nationwide recession to renovate the space. COTC's 33,000-square-foot Ariel Hall opened in 2012. In 2017, Mount Vernon Nazarene University acquired the old J.C. Penney building on South Main Street, most recently home to a multi-dealer antique mall. The 11,000-square-foot property was donated by the Ariel Foundation to the university. The building will house Mount Vernon Nazarene’s engineering program and a community workspace in partnership with local nonprofit Knox Labs. Mount Vernon Nazarene’s Art and Graphic Design Department and School of Nursing and Health Sciences opened across the street from this building in 2010 and 2012, with the help of the Ariel Foundation and other local philanthropists. Below is a photo of the newest university and downtown partnership. Kenyon College completed a $6 million renovation in 2017 of the former Buckeye Candy and Tobacco Co. building on South Main Street. This building houses the college's film program, Kenyon’s Office for Community Partnerships and an independent nonprofit, SPI:
March 3, 20214 yr Kenyon College to build new residence halls with record-breaking $100 million gift Kenyon College announced that it has received a record-breaking $100 million gift from an anonymous donor. Nestled in Gambier, the private liberal arts college of about 1,700 students will build three new residence halls with the generous donation, adding 199 new beds to its housing stock. Kenyon's previous largest gift — given by an anonymous donor in 2017 — amounted to $75 million and was used to construct a new library and academic quad. ( . . . ) The 199 extra beds provided by the new dorms will also allow Kenyon to renovate or replace older residence halls that have reached or are nearing the end of their functional time. Kenyon will begin building the apartment-style residences in the spring of 2023, with completion scheduled for 2025. MORE: https://www.thisweeknews.com/story/news/education/2021/01/26/kenyon-build-new-residence-halls-record-breaking-100-m-gift/6701959002/
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