December 6, 201014 yr Historic mill plans open house amid restoration Monday, December 6, 2010 02:50 AM By Mary Beth Lane THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH LANCASTER, Ohio - With the restoration of Rock Mill about half done, the historic gristmill is decking the halls in holiday evergreens and lights to show itself off to the public. The first Christmas open house at the 1824 gristmill just north of Lancaster is scheduled for Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is free. Organizers hope to make it an annual tradition. Volunteers will serve chili, mulled cider, gingersnaps and sugar cookies to visitors and give them a chance to wander inside the mill to see the progress that has been made restoring it. Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/12/06/historic-mill-plans-open-house-amid-restoration.html?sid=101
July 4, 201113 yr Ex-Lancaster Glass site to get facelift Corner to include residential/retail mix June 30, 2011 By Rick Rouan, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette LANCASTER -- Cleanup will begin soon at the former site of the Lancaster Glass facility downtown now that a $2.5 million state grant has been awarded. The Clean Ohio Council on Wednesday awarded the city of Lancaster and Wagenbrenner Development Inc. a Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant to clean the brownfield site at 240 W. Main Street. Environmental cleanup of the site could take up to two years, but existing building foundations and concrete likely will be removed in the next several months, said Mike Pettit, the city's development director. Wagenbrenner plans to build a 33,000-square-foot combination building for residential and retail use and a second 9,800-square-foot retail building on the site, according to an Ohio Department of Development press release. READ MORE: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20110630/NEWS01/106300302/Ex-Lancaster-Glass-site-get-facelift?odyssey=tab
August 11, 201113 yr Ex-Lancaster Glass site development may take 5 years Grant will fund demolition at former Lancaster Glass property, but new buildings wouldn't open until 2016 July 31, 2011 By Rick Rouan, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette LANCASTER -- Demolition of the former Lancaster Glass site's foundation likely will begin in October, but development of the lot could take up to five years, its developer said. The Clean Ohio Council earlier this month awarded Columbus-based Wagenbrenner Development and the city of Lancaster a $2.5 million grant to clean the site, which still has traces of soil and groundwater contaminants from its former factories. The total cost for clean-up of the 2.6 acre site is estimated at $3.4 million, including water and sewer capacity and tap fee credits provided by the city and assessment costs covered by Lancaster Glass. If foundation demolition begins as scheduled in October, Wagenbrenner plans to complete construction of new buildings by September 2016, according to its state grant application. A bulk of that time will be spent cleaning contaminants in the soil and groundwater beneath the site. Environmental clean-up would begin Jan. 1 and finish in September 2014. Construction could begin in July 2014 and be completed by September 2016, according to the application. READ MORE: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20110731/NEWS01/107310303/Ex-Lancaster-Glass-site-development-may-take-5-years
August 12, 201113 yr Lancaster needs something really badass here to remind those on old 33 that they are downtown. Like Newark and Zanesville, Lancaster has one of those '50s urban highways that just skirted the downtown area... the kind that make people passing through say, "Is that it?"
January 9, 201213 yr Site of proposed housing for recovering addicts divides Lancaster By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Sunday December 25, 2011 - 5:52 AM Neighborhoods often recoil when a developer proposes low-income housing for the homeless, mentally ill or drug-addicted. A proposed apartment building in downtown Lancaster for recovering addicts and their children is the latest to stir opposition. (. . .) At issue in Lancaster is Pearl House. The $6 million project would feature 36 two-bedroom apartments for recovering drug addicts, and their children, plus on-site staff supervision and services. Most tenants are expected to be single mothers, although there also could be couples or single fathers with children. The apartments would be built at W. Chestnut Street and Memorial Drive. Some Lancaster business owners say the project is well-intentioned but doesn’t belong in the historic downtown, and they contend it could hurt revival efforts by the heritage group Main Street Lancaster and others. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/12/25/site-of-proposed-housing-for-recovering-addicts-divides-lancaster.html
March 28, 201213 yr Two reports about a new downtown development plan for the City of Lancaster: NBC4: Downtown Lancaster Gets New Development Plan Columbus Underground: Lancaster Unveils New Downtown Redevelopment Plan
March 29, 201213 yr The City of Lancaster will be purchasing and renovating a 19th-century three-story building in downtown Lancaster to become the new home of the Fairfield County Municipal Court. This week, Lancaster City Council approved $6.7 million for the purchase and renovation of the building, known as the Columbian Building at 134-140 W. Main Street. The Columbian Building is one block from the court’s current location in City Hall. Below are links to articles about this project from the Columbus Dispatch and from the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. A photo of the Columbian Building from the Eagle-Gazette is also below. According to the Eagle-Gazette, the Columbian Building was built in 1894 and the Fairfield County Municipal Court is scheduled to move into the renovated Columbian Building by 2014. DISPATCH: Lancaster buys historic building to house court EAGLE-GAZETTE: City Council to buy Columbian to house municipal court
March 29, 201213 yr This week, Lancaster City Council approved $6.7 million the purchase of the building, known as the Columbian Building at 134-140 W. Main Street. Just to clarify, the $6.7 million figure includes rehabilitation. The purchase price is $450,000. EDIT: Thanks for catching that typo. Original post has been corrected.
June 26, 201212 yr http://urbanup.net/2012/06/26/ohio-historic-tax-credits-awarded/ Lancaster: Bodenheimer-Mayer House, at 204 North Columbus Street, received $71,000 for a $343,500 restoration. Constructed in 1835, the two-story brick house in downtown Lancaster was most recently used as office space but has been empty for four years. The first floor, after rehabilitation, will house retail while the upper floor will contain two apartments. This is the first project in Lancaster and Fairfield County to use the Historic Preservation Tax Credit program.
December 30, 201212 yr Fairfield Medical in Lancaster plans $35M expansion Business First by Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter Date: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 2:47pm EST Fairfield Medical Center will build a $35 million expansion uniting two buildings on its campus, adding operating suites and 36 beds to make all the hospital’s rooms private, the Lancaster hospital announced Thursday. The addition will be built between the main hospital and its surgery pavilion, connecting the two buildings, under plans approved by board members on Wednesday. The connection will add operating rooms, improve flow and make patient transportation safer, the hospital said in a press release. Waiting areas also will be expanded and technology such as robotic surgery equipment will be added. Fairfield is the busiest of the community hospitals in the counties surrounding Franklin County. The 222-bed facility is not adding capacity but the 36 rooms in the expansion will allow conversion of former double-occupancy rooms so all of the facility’s rooms will be private. Construction is expected to start in 2014 and take two years. READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/12/13/fairfield-medical-in-lancaster-plans.html Additional article from Business First about the Fairfield Medical expansion: Fairfield Medical sees expansion as key to independence
January 31, 201312 yr Ex-Lancaster Glass site development may take 5 years Grant will fund demolition at former Lancaster Glass property, but new buildings wouldn't open until 2016 July 31, 2011 By Rick Rouan, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette LANCASTER -- Demolition of the former Lancaster Glass site's foundation likely will begin in October, but development of the lot could take up to five years, its developer said. The Clean Ohio Council earlier this month awarded Columbus-based Wagenbrenner Development and the city of Lancaster a $2.5 million grant to clean the site, which still has traces of soil and groundwater contaminants from its former factories. The total cost for clean-up of the 2.6 acre site is estimated at $3.4 million, including water and sewer capacity and tap fee credits provided by the city and assessment costs covered by Lancaster Glass. If foundation demolition begins as scheduled in October, Wagenbrenner plans to complete construction of new buildings by September 2016, according to its state grant application. A bulk of that time will be spent cleaning contaminants in the soil and groundwater beneath the site. Environmental clean-up would begin Jan. 1 and finish in September 2014. Construction could begin in July 2014 and be completed by September 2016, according to the application. READ MORE: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20110731/NEWS01/107310303/Ex-Lancaster-Glass-site-development-may-take-5-years Below is the Wagenbrenner Development webpage for the Lancaster Glass property plus an aerial photo of the cleared site from that webpage. http://wagdev.com/projects/mixuse/lancaster.aspx
January 31, 201312 yr Former Lancaster orphanage to become a home for the homeless A great structure from the 1800s will rise again to give shelter and support services for those struggling in this century By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - 7:06 AM LANCASTER, Ohio — A 19th-century building that sheltered orphans and other homeless children is being renovated into apartments for 16 homeless families. ... Donna Fox-Moore, who is housing director at the Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency, the nonprofit organization renovating Rutherford House, is confident that the families who move in at year’s end will succeed. (. . .) The $2.75 million project was kept deliberately small at 16 apartments so that social workers can work intensively with families, Fox-Moore said. Her agency also is a partner in another supportive-housing development — Pearl House — in downtown Lancaster. That 21-unit apartment building will be specifically for recovering drug abusers and their families. Rutherford House is named for Ed and Maxine Rutherford, the superintendent and matron who served the Fairfield County Children’s Home from 1954 to 1971. The local community action agency took over the orphanage building and the superintendent’s home next door from the county nearly 10 years ago. The 1886 brick building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is a fitting home for homeless families who want to rebuild their lives, Fox-Moore said. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/16/a-home-for-the-homeless.html The Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency is renovating the former orphanage at the left.
November 21, 201311 yr Fairfield Medical in Lancaster plans $35M expansion Business First by Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter Date: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 2:47pm EST Fairfield Medical Center will build a $35 million expansion uniting two buildings on its campus, adding operating suites and 36 beds to make all the hospital’s rooms private, the Lancaster hospital announced Thursday. The addition will be built between the main hospital and its surgery pavilion, connecting the two buildings, under plans approved by board members on Wednesday. The connection will add operating rooms, improve flow and make patient transportation safer, the hospital said in a press release. Waiting areas also will be expanded and technology such as robotic surgery equipment will be added. Fairfield is the busiest of the community hospitals in the counties surrounding Franklin County. The 222-bed facility is not adding capacity but the 36 rooms in the expansion will allow conversion of former double-occupancy rooms so all of the facility’s rooms will be private. Construction is expected to start in 2014 and take two years. READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/12/13/fairfield-medical-in-lancaster-plans.html Additional article from Business First about the Fairfield Medical expansion: Fairfield Medical sees expansion as key to independence Business First has this Lancaster project listed in their recent top 25 commercial construction projects based on estimated project cost in the Central Ohio region at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/11/06/top-of-the-list-commercial.html No. 2: Fairfield Medial Center Project Bright inpatient expansion Cost: $37.8 million S/F: 124,200 Address: 401 N. Ewing St., Lancaster Site owner: Fairfield Medical Center General contractor/construction manager: Elford Inc
November 25, 201311 yr The City of Lancaster will be purchasing and renovating a 19th-century three-story building in downtown Lancaster to become the new home of the Fairfield County Municipal Court. This week, Lancaster City Council approved $6.7 million for the purchase and renovation of the building, known as the Columbian Building at 134-140 W. Main Street. The Columbian Building is one block from the court’s current location in City Hall. Below are links to articles about this project from the Columbus Dispatch and from the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. A photo of the Columbian Building from the Eagle-Gazette is also below. According to the Eagle-Gazette, the Columbian Building was built in 1894 and the Fairfield County Municipal Court is scheduled to move into the renovated Columbian Building by 2014. DISPATCH: Lancaster buys historic building to house court EAGLE-GAZETTE: City Council to buy Columbian to house municipal court Some more current photos of the Columbian Building in downtown Lancaster - which is slated to become the new home of the Fairfield County Municipal Court. These photos come from ink's recent 'Lancaster Revisited' photo thread at http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,28843.msg684300.html in the City Photos - Ohio section. Here is a rendering of what the renovated Columbian Building will look like: Here are two photos of the existing condition of the Columbian Building. Someone really cut the top of the building right off, didn't they? Once again, thanks to ink for these photos. Go visit his photo thread at http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,28843.msg684300.html to see the rest of urban Lancaster.
March 29, 201411 yr I guess this isn't so much "development" news since I don't even need any permits, but we are going to be opening SUPER GAME TEAM, a video game and pop culture store in the River Valley Mall around June 1. For more info visit supergameteam.com
May 10, 201411 yr Tomorrow's the big day at Super Game Team in River Valley Mall! Man, am I tired. We crashed the schedule to get open almost 3 weeks early. Probably won't open until noon or 1. This location should be a lot busier than our old one in 5xNW near Grandview.
May 10, 201411 yr Congrats and good luck! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 1, 201410 yr More about the renovation of the historic Columbian Building into a new Fairfield County Municipal Court location. This project was previously posted HERE in this thread: Historic Lancaster building to be new Municipal Court home By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, November 3, 2014 - 5:20 AM LANCASTER, Ohio — The downtown building being renovated to house the Fairfield County Municipal Court is just a block from the court’s current location on Main Street. But it will be a world away from the cramped, unsafe conditions that court officials and the public cope with now. Currently, prisoners and the general public share the single elevator and often the narrow, crowded hall — plus, the restrooms. The court plans to move from the second floor of City Hall at 104 E. Main Street to the historic, brick 19th-century Columbian Building at 138-140 W. Main Street. Court officials hope to move into their new courthouse location in September 2015. The clerk of court, city prosecutor and administrative offices will also occupy the building, as well as the probation department plus courtrooms and chambers for the two judges. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/11/03/new-hall-of-justice.html
December 3, 201410 yr Couple to rehab Lancaster’s condemned Mithoff Hotel By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, December 1, 2014 - 7:42 AM LANCASTER, Ohio — Mayor David S. Smith is not exaggerating when he uses the words miracle and gift to describe a couple’s decision to save the old Mithoff Hotel in downtown Lancaster. The condemned building came close to being demolished last year at Smith’s recommendation. Historic preservationists, downtown business owners, City Council members and others prevailed on Smith to keep it standing until someone came along to save it. The saviors have emerged. Brad and Penny Hutchinson plan to spend an estimated $3 million to $4 million to renovate the building, and they anticipate putting stores in its street-level space and offices on the second and third floors when the project is finished within five years. The City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 24 to transfer the building to the Lancaster Port Authority, the city’s economic-development arm, which plans to deed it to the Hutchinsons for $1. If the transfer is completed by year’s end, Mr. Hutchinson said, he could have a work crew inside as soon as January to begin removing asbestos. The Mithoff, built about 1820 as the Swan Hotel and enlarged around 1870, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The city paid $205,000 in 2008 to take the building from a New York realty company that had owned and neglected it for years. City officials predicted at the time that a local developer would buy and renovate it. But no one wanted to take on the project until now. The Lancaster couple brings professional expertise, a passion for historic buildings and several million dollars. That combination appears to uniquely match what the Mithoff Hotel needs. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/01/couple-to-rehab-lancasters-condemned-mithoff-hotel.html
December 3, 201410 yr http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/01/couple-to-rehab-lancasters-condemned-mithoff-hotel.html This is some great news for the Mithoff Building in Downtown Lancaster. This building is located in the same block as Columbian Building, which is being renovated into a new Fairfield County Municipal Court building. Below are a couple of photos of the Mithoff Hotel. The first is a historic photo from the 19th century - the second is from a rally last year to save the building:
December 29, 201410 yr Downtown Lancaster is on a roll: Building rehab just latest in downtown Lancaster By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, December 25, 2014 - 6:32 AM LANCASTER, Ohio — A Westerville developer’s plan to convert an old factory building into storefronts on the first floor and 49 loft apartments on the two upper floors is the latest sign that downtown Lancaster is stirring to life. Tom Fortin of Thomas Fortin & Company said he plans to spend about $4 million to renovate the historic Essex building. The lofts will reflect the architectural charm of the 1910 building, Fortin said, including 12-foot ceilings and tall, arched windows, exposed brick walls and hardwood floors. ... Fortin’s plan for the Essex building is the latest in a series of historic-renovation projects that have been completed recently, are currently going on or are planned in downtown Lancaster. Local business owners Brad and Penny Hutchinson plan to spend $3 million to $4 million to renovate the 19th-century Mithoff Hotel, which came close to being razed before they stepped in to save it. The Fairfield County Municipal Court is preparing to move into the 19th-century Columbian building after renovation is completed next year. And restaurants, an ale house and a coffee house have opened in other historic buildings downtown. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/25/building-rehab-just-latest-in-lancaster.html
June 6, 201510 yr Rutherford House provides help for homeless families in Lancaster By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, June 4, 2015 - 4:48 AM LANCASTER, Ohio — Families filled almost all of the Rutherford House’s 16 apartments months before the official ribbon cutting for the renovated building. Poor, homeless families have been moving into the former Fairfield County Children’s Home since around Christmas, when major construction ended. Organizers have scheduled the building’s dedication for today. They waited until the spring landscaping was done to show off the restored 1886 building that once housed orphans and other poor children and now is on the National Register of Historic Places. The $2.9 million Rutherford House is the second permanent supportive-housing development to open in Fairfield County. The $5.6 million, 21-unit Pearl House, dedicated to providing housing and supportive services for recovering drug abusers and their children, opened in November in downtown Lancaster. The Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency developed both projects. ... Rutherford House, on the grounds of the nonprofit organization at 1743 E. Main Street about 2 miles east of downtown Lancaster, did not draw the controversy that Pearl House did. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/04/help-for-homeless-families.html
June 6, 201510 yr More about $5.6 million, 21-unit Pearl House which opened in November 2014 in Downtown Lancaster at the corner of Memorial Drive and West Chestnut Street: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2014/10/21/pearl-house-apartment-complex-set-open-nov/17688673/
June 9, 201510 yr The Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster opened its $35 million expansion late last month, adding private rooms and a more-efficient surgery department. More about this and photos at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/05/29/photos-fairfield-medical-center-opens-big.html
October 17, 20159 yr More about the renovation of the historic Columbian Building into a new Fairfield County Municipal Court location. This project was previously posted HERE in this thread: Historic Lancaster building to be new Municipal Court home By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, November 3, 2014 - 5:20 AM LANCASTER, Ohio — The downtown building being renovated to house the Fairfield County Municipal Court is just a block from the court’s current location on Main Street. But it will be a world away from the cramped, unsafe conditions that court officials and the public cope with now. Currently, prisoners and the general public share the single elevator and often the narrow, crowded hall — plus, the restrooms. The court plans to move from the second floor of City Hall at 104 E. Main Street to the historic, brick 19th-century Columbian Building at 138-140 W. Main Street. Court officials hope to move into their new courthouse location in September 2015. The clerk of court, city prosecutor and administrative offices will also occupy the building, as well as the probation department plus courtrooms and chambers for the two judges. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/11/03/new-hall-of-justice.html A follow-up from the Dispatch about the historic Columbian Building in downtown Lancaster that is being renovated into a new Fairfield County Municipal Court location. This update is from a weekly "Government Insider" column, so the article's title has nothing to do with the Columbian Building project. Below is an excerpt about the renovation project; for the full article go to http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/10/15/candidate-decides-to-campaign-after-all.html: Just like a home-remodeling project, the renovation of the historic Columbian Building to house the Fairfield County Municipal Court in downtown Lancaster is taking longer and costing more than originally anticipated. Quite a bit more, Fairfield County Reporter Mary Beth Lane tells us: The cost was first estimated at $6.7 million, including $450,000 that the city paid to buy the vacant, neglected 19th-century brick building from a private owner. It ballooned to $9.2 million by last year after officials decided to build a three-story addition to the rear of the building. Now the cost is estimated at about $10.2 million, court Administrator Jackie Long said, and the anticipated September occupancy date has been pushed to December. The project has racked up about $1 million in additional expenses because of damage that construction crews found in the building. The issues include damaged floor joists and a wall that had to be rebuilt because the old mortar had turned to powder, Long said. The court is moving from the second floor of City Hall at 104 E. Main Street to the Columbian at 138-140 W. Main Street. The clerk of courts, city prosecutor and administrative offices will occupy the building, as well as the probation department plus courtrooms and chambers for the two current judges. Officials anticipate asking the state legislature for a third judge within the next two decades, so they added space for a third chamber and courtroom to the renovation. The project is funded through a bond issue that will be repaid with court fees.
December 4, 20159 yr Update on the historic Columbian Building in downtown Lancaster being renovated into a new Fairfield County Municipal Court location: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/11/24/Renovation-continues-in-Lancaster.html
April 26, 20169 yr Fairfield County Municipal Court opens in new home By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 5:21 AM LANCASTER, Ohio — Municipal court workers are unpacking boxes, setting up phones and computers, and avoiding fresh paint that’s still drying on walls. Court is in session, so this move-in must move fast. Fairfield County Municipal Court opened for business on Monday in its new home: the 19th century Columbian Building in downtown Lancaster. The renovated three-story brick building at 138-140 W. Main Street — topped by its distinctive conical, “witch’s hat” roof — is a block from the court’s old home on the second floor of City Hall at 104 E. Main Street, but it is a world away in terms of modern, secure accommodations. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/04/21/fairfield-county-municipal-court-opens-in-new-home.html
December 3, 20168 yr Freestanding ER part of Fairfield Medical's $30M expansion in Lancaster Fairfield Medical Center has confirmed its second freestanding emergency room will be part of its more than $30 million Health & Wellness Center. Construction starts in spring on the 85,000-square-foot complex next to the Lancaster health system's River View Surgery Center on North Columbus Street, 4 miles from the main hospital and just off Route 33. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/12/02/freestanding-er-part-of-fairfield-medicals-30m.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 29, 20178 yr $5.6 million, 21-unit Pearl House which opened in November 2014 in Downtown Lancaster at the corner of Memorial Drive and West Chestnut Street: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2014/10/21/pearl-house-apartment-complex-set-open-nov/17688673/ Pearl House in Downtown Lancaster has been honored as one of the nation's most outstanding Low Income Housing Tax Credit developments by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition: http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/on-the-house/2016/06/lancaster-development-recognized.html
January 29, 20178 yr The Dispatch and Business First each examined the vast Anchor Hocking glassware factory that employs 1,100 in Lancaster. The Dispatch article looked at the long history of the Lancaster plant and the recent struggles of its parent company. Business First also looked at the recent financial issues and produced a gritty photo-tour of the glass plant's interior: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/07/10/1-push-underway-to-keep-anchor-hocking-plant-rolling-in-lancaster.html http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/09/23/photos-inside-the-steamy-cavernous-anchor-hocking.html
January 30, 20178 yr ^I have gotten into the habit of checking for the anchor logo on the bottom of glass drinking glasses whenever I eat out. :-)
June 19, 20186 yr http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180617/restoration-of-historic-lancaster-auditorium-nears-completion https://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2018/03/15/lancaster-campground-auditorium-work-final-stages/425692002/ The Dispatch ran a story earlier this week about the restoration of the historic Davis Auditorium located in the center of the Lancaster Camp Ground. Above is also a link to an earlier story about this from the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. I was unaware of the Lancaster Camp Ground and this auditorium prior to this story. But after reading it and doing some research, I'm learning of its interesting history. The Lancaster Camp Ground (two separate words - not Campground) is not the county fairground. Instead, it is a 69-acre private neighborhood of 233 cottages and larger buildings that traces its origin to the 1870's and is listed in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lancaster Camp Ground began in the 1870's as part of the Methodist religious-revival tradition that included open-air preaching. People used to come in the summer, pitch little tents and settle in for the preaching. Over the years, the tents gave way to summer cottages, most of which now are permanent homes. In 1895, the Davis Auditorium was built at the center of the 69-acre Lancaster Camp Ground. The auditorium is 120 foot square and can hold 3,000 people. In 2005, the Davis Auditorium was closed due to structural problems with the building. Since then, the Camp Ground residents and others have raised funds and done volunteer work to repair and restore the building. It is scheduled to re-open this summer. More info about the Lancaster Camp Ground is available at http://www.lancastercampground.com/index.html Aerial of the Lancaster Camp Ground. Davis Auditorium is at the center. Streets radiate from the auditorium and connect with other gridded streets that have developed over time: Here is an aerial showing the Lancaster Camp Ground in relation to the rest of the City of Lancaster: Here are a couple exterior views of the Davis Auditorium located at the center of the Lancaster Camp Ground: Here are a couple of interior views of the Davis Auditorium, which can hold 3,000:
June 19, 20186 yr Wow, that's cool! I work about 1,500 feet from there but have never been to the Camp Ground and didn't know about the Auditorium. I didn't want to bother a religious place but houses buy and sell within the Camp Ground on the regular real estate market.
July 8, 20186 yr http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/01/couple-to-rehab-lancasters-condemned-mithoff-hotel.html This is some great news for the Mithoff Building in Downtown Lancaster. This building is located in the same block as Columbian Building, which is being renovated into a new Fairfield County Municipal Court building. Below are a couple of photos of the Mithoff Hotel. The first is a historic photo from the 19th century - the second is from a rally last year to save the building: Update on the Mithoff Building from https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/06/15/fairfield-county-downtowns-flourish-with.html - "The renovation of the historic Mithoff Hotel has become the crown jewel of downtown Lancaster. This multi-million dollar renovation is the work of local developer and philanthropist, Brad Hutchinson. The Mithoff Hotel was in continuous use from 1820 to the 1990's, when the lack of maintenance deemed it unsafe. In danger of being demolished, Hutchinson stepped forward to develop the building, which will soon house four ground floor retail spaces, second-floor offices, and one 6,000-square-foot apartment on the third floor." - Some photos of the renovated Mithoff Building from https://www.facebook.com/pg/savethemithoff/photos/?ref=page_internal - -
July 9, 20186 yr ^Is Lancaster a commuter exurb of Columbus at this point? It is 33 miles away, same as Medina from Cleveland. I had to google it because I thought the same thing, but didn't realize it was so close to Columbus. It's a beautiful restoration.
July 9, 20186 yr I wonder who is going to live in a 6,000 sq. ft. apartment in Lancaster. They'll make it an airbnb.
July 9, 20186 yr I wonder who is going to live in a 6,000 sq. ft. apartment in Lancaster. I wondered about that too. My guess would be the local developer/philanthropist who funded the renovation - but the Business First article didn't say who it was going to be.
July 9, 20186 yr ^Is Lancaster a commuter exurb of Columbus at this point? It is 33 miles away, same as Medina from Cleveland. I had to google it because I thought the same thing, but didn't realize it was so close to Columbus. It's a beautiful restoration. Lancaster is still a self-sustaining community with its remaining employers (see the Anchor Hocking post). But as the Columbus metro area has grown, it is probably at least partially functioning as a commuter exurb of Columbus now. Especially if you look at how close Lancaster is to Rickenbacker. At only 10 miles away, you would think a significant portion of Lancaster residents are employed in the thousands of warehousing & distribution jobs at Rickenbacker.
July 9, 20186 yr ^Is Lancaster a commuter exurb of Columbus at this point? It is 33 miles away, same as Medina from Cleveland. I had to google it because I thought the same thing, but didn't realize it was so close to Columbus. It's a beautiful restoration. Lancaster is still a self-sustaining community with its remaining employers (see the Anchor Hocking post). But as the Columbus metro area has grown, it is probably at least partially functioning as a commuter exurb of Columbus now. Especially if you look at how close Lancaster is to Rickenbacker. At only 10 miles away, you would think a significant portion of Lancaster residents are employed in the thousands of warehousing & distribution jobs at Rickenbacker. I agree that it's pretty self-sustaining. You can pretty much live in Lancaster and never have any need to travel up 33 to Columbus. However, many people do for jobs that are a bit better and higher paying than what is available in Lancaster. I know of many people that live in the Lancaster area, but have good pay jobs in Columbus. People tend to move out to the area because they like the more country feel and they can get more for their money. It's certainly more self-sustaining than a Marysville, but then again it has twice the population of Marysville. Lancaster has their own mall, pretty much every major grocery store or restaurant chain, a historic part of town with shops and restaurants, fairgrounds, and any government services you might need.
July 9, 20186 yr Most jobs don't pay very well in Lancaster since they have an oversupply of employees from neighboring counties. I couldn't understand why so many people with factory and light industrial jobs kept applying to work at my game store. Then someone told me that we pay just as well or better than the industrial jobs there. It's not like we pay very well; it's working at a video game store, what do you expect?
July 10, 20186 yr It's certainly more self-sustaining than a Marysville, but then again it has twice the population of Marysville. Lancaster has their own mall, pretty much every major grocery store or restaurant chain, a historic part of town with shops and restaurants, fairgrounds, and any government services you might need. I would think Marysville is more self-sustaining due to Honda, Scotts and other industrial concerns.
July 10, 20186 yr ^I am not that familiar with either city but I took CBUSSOCCER's post to mean that you could live in Lancaster more easily without have to leave the city for goods and services when compared to Marysville, not that it had a stronger economic base.
July 10, 20186 yr ^I am not that familiar with either city but I took CBUSSOCCER's post to mean that you could live in Lancaster more easily without have to leave the city for goods and services when compared to Marysville, not that it had a stronger economic base. This exactly. Yes, Marysville has a strong economic base due to Honda and Scott's, but it's also right down the street from Dublin. As a result, some of the commerce kind of bleeds over into Dublin and the rest of Columbus. Until the last 20 years or so, Marysville was a small town of less than 10,000 people. Lancaster has had a larger population than that for 100+ years and for most of its history has dwarfed Marysville in size. As a result, Lancaster has built up more of a self-sustaining economy than Marysville has. Downtown Marysville is also only 20 minutes from 270 and on the north side of Columbus. Lancaster is 30 minutes from 270 and on the south side of Columbus which, in general, has much less to offer than the north side. Both are nice places, and very much a part of the Columbus metro area, but they are also very different places.
June 16, 20195 yr On 7/8/2018 at 7:48 PM, Columbo said: Update on the Mithoff Building from https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/06/15/fairfield-county-downtowns-flourish-with.html - "The renovation of the historic Mithoff Hotel has become the crown jewel of downtown Lancaster. This multi-million dollar renovation is the work of local developer and philanthropist, Brad Hutchinson. The Mithoff Hotel was in continuous use from 1820 to the 1990's, when the lack of maintenance deemed it unsafe. In danger of being demolished, Hutchinson stepped forward to develop the building, which will soon house four ground floor retail spaces, second-floor offices, and one 6,000-square-foot apartment on the third floor." - Some photos of the renovated Mithoff Building from https://www.facebook.com/pg/savethemithoff/photos/?ref=page_internal - - https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190614/mithoff-buildings-grand-reopening-celebrates-revitalized-downtown-lancaster Grand re-opening celebration held at the 199-year-old Mithoff Building in downtown Lancaster.
June 25, 20195 yr Fairfield Medical Center aims to boost market share with standalone ER and YMCA branch Fairfield Medical Center is counting on a new standalone emergency department attached to a YMCA-run fitness center in one of Lancaster's fastest-growing neighborhoods to attract new patients and keep existing ones from drifting to other locations. River Valley Campus, right off Rte. 33 and 4 miles north of the main hospital, is expected to open by the end of July, after construction finishes and health inspection. ... River Valley caps a strategic plan that started with a 2015 expansion of the main hospital in Lancaster. ( . . . ) Two of the region's busiest freestanding ERs are in the county: The 9-year-old Diley Ridge Medical Center in Canal Winchester, 30% owned by Fairfield, and OhioHealth Pickerington Medical Campus, which opened in 2015. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/06/24/fairfield-medical-center-aims-to-boost-market.html
August 19, 20213 yr Google to invest $1 billion, buy more land as part of Columbus region data center expansion Mark Williams - The Dispatch - Aug. 19, 2021 "In Lancaster, Google has bought a farm at 104 Whiley Road, west of U.S. 33. If Google develops a data center there, it would be the first for Lancaster. 'We've been working on this for over a year,' Mayor David Scheffler said. 'City staff has spent thousands of hours on this project. We've been excited for a long time and happy to see it announced.’' The site has about 120 acres, and Scheffler said it could be the largest commercial development in the city's history. Scheffler said the project is one of several in that area of Lancaster, including the new Magna Seating of America plant, and that it could lead to more projects nearby." 104 Whiley Road, Lancaster
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