April 13, 200718 yr LOL! Almost three years! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 13, 200718 yr Chillicothe looks pretty amazing...although several fires have been devestating to downtown, I understand.
April 20, 200718 yr wasn't there recently a major fire here? Chillicothe looks pretty amazing...although several fires have been devestating to downtown, I understand. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 21, 200718 yr Options to fund new bus depot being weighed Columbus Dispatch, 5/7/07 Chillicothe officials are thinking outside the box -- or at least outside the city -- with their plans for a new bus transit center. Now they just need the money for it. Building a bus depot that's nearly 19,000 square feet on the Ross County seat's southeast side is high on officials' priority list because of increasing ridership and an existing bus garage that's been too small for years. Chillicothe's bus system has been providing rides beyond the city limits for the past three years. The city has a contract with the county Job and Family Services Department to pick up senior citizens and other clients who don't have another way of getting into town. Ross County does not have its own bus system.
October 22, 200717 yr Carlisle Building: Under new ownership By LOREN GENSON, Gazette Staff Writer, October 19, 2007 New owners are expected to take control of the Carlisle Building at Paint and Main streets within the next two to three weeks, according to Marvin Jones of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce. "I think something may come by the end of the month or maybe sooner," said Jones, president and CEO of the Chamber. The property is currently owned by Carlisle LLC, and the City of Chillicothe has been proceeding with foreclosure on the property. However, the city law director's office has been working to negotiate terms under which the City would dismiss the foreclosure.
October 23, 200717 yr Good news on the Carlisle building. When future news arises, it might be best to start a new thread, the Carlisle is a totally separate building than the ones this thread sparked.
October 23, 200717 yr DOCUMENTS ADDED: Carlisle Building plans unveiled New owners step forward with details The Gazette [Chillicothe], October 27, 2007 Building plans, page 1 (.pdf) Building plans, page 2 (.pdf)
October 23, 200717 yr This one is a must-save... and Schooley-Caldwell's involvement is phenomenal news!
October 24, 200717 yr Hmm, I thought I split off the thread but can't find it. Oh well. It would be nice if a mod would tell when a post is deleted, so that there won't be needless searching or accidental double-posting. It was the same topic, so it was merged. Sorry, I should have put a post in here about doing that but I got busy and forgot.
October 24, 200717 yr No problem :) I didn't see a locked topic with "moved" in the title and thought that it had gotten lost somewhere.
October 31, 200717 yr Thriving commercial district, solid downtown led to magazine honor By LOREN GENSON, Chillicothe Gazette, October 31, 2007 Mayor Joe Sulzer's announcement Friday that Chillicothe was recently named one of Ohio's best hometowns by Ohio Magazine was confirmed by the magazine this week. But what is it that makes Chillicothe one of the state's best? Chillicothe was one of five towns in Ohio selected as a best hometown for 2008, a list that includes Bowling Green, Delaware, Independence and Miamisburg. Chillicothe represented the Southeast section of the state, and Ohio Magazine deemed it "the perfect blend of modern progress and historic charm." The article in Ohio Magazine on Chillicothe is in the November copy of the magazine. You can check it out online at www.ohiomagazine.com.
November 5, 200717 yr Alright, if you guys want to discuss independence you'll have to do it elsewhere.
November 28, 200717 yr Eyes turn to future of Carlisle By Loren Genson, Chillicothe Gazette, November 27, 2007 Chillicothe's Downtown Partnership met privately Monday with representatives from the Carlisle Tower LLC, new owners of the Carlisle building property, to discuss plans for the building and ask for input from local property owners. "The owners really think (Chillicothe) plays an important role in the state and they feel they're on the verge of something big here," said Bart Henshaw, who represents the League of Women Voters and the Chillicothe Farmers Market on the Downtown Partnership. "They really wanted our input." Carlisle Tower LLC Managing Member David Sewickley was present at the meeting, along with Robert Loversidge, an architect and president and chief executive officer for Schooley Caldwell Associates. Schooley Caldwell has completed renovations on the Ohio Statehouse and the Ohio Supreme Court building in Columbus. Henshaw said the new owners were not daunted by the repair needs of the building, which was badly damaged in a fire in 2003.
February 5, 200817 yr Chillicothe Conservancy leader: More work needed in downtown Program highlights city's architectural treasures By Jona Ison, Chillicothe Gazette, February 4, 2008 Since the 1970s, Chillicothe has undergone a transformation downtown, but a local preservationist feels there is more to be done. Conaway, who in one of the leaders of the Chillicothe Conservancy, spoke to a group of more than 30 people Sunday about the area's architectural "gems." While many people go to Europe to see architectural beauty, Conaway said beauty can be found in Ross County, too, but it isn't treasured and maintained like in Europe. The richness of the area's architecture is steeped in its historical background as first the capital of the Northwest Territory and then Ohio's first capital. Conaway showed slides of examples of various architectural styles, going from log cabins (which there are few still remaining from the late 1700s) to homes and buildings built in Greek Revival, Federal and Victorian styles, to name a few. More than 65 buildings within Chillicothe's downtown preservation district have been demolished since the city put in place a preservation ordinance in 1974. In the county, Conaway said there have been at least 180 architecturally historical buildings demolished or destroyed in the same time period. Those buildings have included commercial structures as well as homes.
March 28, 200817 yr Can this be renamed to a general Chillicothe Developments thread? Adena project begins Expansion eyes 2010 completion By Loren Genson, Chillicothe Gazette, March 28, 2008 # Addition size:95,000 square feet # Renovation size:22,000 square feet # Total cost:$45.5 million # Start date:March 2008 # Estimated Completion: Spring 2010 The new facility will be the largest and most expensive project since the medical center was constructed in 1973. The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2010.
April 8, 200817 yr Adena to keep growing Report meeting provides more plans to expand By Jona Ison, Chillicothe Gazette, April 7, 2008 This year's changes # Volunteers increased by 74. # Full time equivalent employees increased by 131. # Physicians increased by 11. # Funds available increased by $16.5 million. # Money earned through investments and non-patient services decreased $7.6 million. # The hospital successfully recruited two more oncology physicians who will come on board within the next year. Recently two projects with a combined investment of $60.5 million have broken ground and are in the process of construction, the PACCAR Medical Education Center and the Women and Children Center. Next month, Shuter expects to break ground again, this time to add 12 beds to the emergency room, and this summer he expects to outline in more detail other expansion plans with dates and costs attached.
May 7, 200817 yr City eyes downtown rules Carlisle still a city option By Loren Genson, Chillicothe Gazette, May 6, 2008 Extra rules for downtown business owners may be adopted next week so Chillicothe can apply for grants that would assist owners with improvements in the downtown preservation district. The extra rules include 10 additional standards set by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's office. Their adoption is a requirement in order for the city to apply for the Community Development Block Grant Small Cities Downtown Revitalization Program.
October 25, 200816 yr City breaks ground on new transit facility By Loren Genson, Chillicothe Gazette, October 24, 2008 A former mayor, former council members and current City Council and administrators attended a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday for the new Chillicothe Transit Building that has been more than 10 years in the making. "This is a combination of state, federal and local governments working together," said Chillicothe Mayor Joe Sulzer of the $3.4 million building, set to be finished by the end of 2009.
August 19, 200915 yr Chillicothe seeks income tax increase for Carlisle Building Tuesday, August 18, 2009 - 3:54 PM By Randy Ludlow, The Columbus Dispatch Chillicothe city officials are asking voters to increase income taxes to buy a fire-damaged downtown landmark and convert it to city offices. Chillicothe City Council voted unanimously last night to put a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot to increase the city income tax rate from 1.6 percent to 1.7 percent. The funds would be used to eventually purchase the Carlisle Building, a red-brick 1880s landmark at Main and Paint streets, which was damaged by a 2003 fire. The tax increase, which would take effect Jan. 1 if approved, would cost residents $10 per year for each $10,000 of income. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/08/18/carlisle.html?sid=101
February 8, 201015 yr ^Apparently the Chillicothe tax levy to restore the Carlisle Building did not pass. :-( City continues to work with Carlisle owners despite levy failure Loren Genson, Chillicothe Gazette Date: Nov 5, 2009 City Council Finance Chairwoman Cindy Henderson, R-At Large, said she met with the property owners, local preservationists and Mayor Joe Sulzer on Wednesday to discuss the city options for moving to the Carlisle Building without asking voters for additional money. Full article at http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20091105378
February 8, 201015 yr Carlisle property fence comes down THE GAZETTE STAFF January 26, 2010 Pedestrian traffic likely will flow more easily at the corner of Paint and Main streets after a fence surrounding the Carlisle Building was taken down by the owners on Sunday. Carlisle Tower LLC spokesperson David W.T. Carroll said the owners have secured the masonry and performed additional improvements to the building. Carroll said Carlisle Tower LLC is committed to talks to find a tenant for the building so additional work inside the building can begin. The group has proposed the city move its administrative offices to the Carlisle Building; however, city officials have said the plans have been costly. "Talks slowed over the holidays, but we're looking forward to working with the city to find a future use of the building," Carroll said. The Carlisle Building has been vacant since it was partially destroyed by a fire in 2003. Full article at http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20101260311
March 26, 201015 yr Council to be updated on Carlisle building BY LOREN GENSON, Gazette Staff Writer March 22, 2010 CHILLICOTHE -- Finance Chair Jeremy Siberell, R-5th Ward, is hoping to get an update from Carlisle building owners about the progress of work on the building at a March 29 review session of Chillicothe City Council. The Carlisle building has been vacant since it was damaged by fire in 2003. Members of Carlisle Tower LLC, the Columbus-based group that now owns the building, had worked with Chillicothe leaders in 2009 by presenting proposals for city offices to be located in a revitalized Carlisle Building. There was not a strong interest by the city in the proposal, mostly because of the project costs. In November, voters overwhelmingly rejected a property tax levy that would have provided funds to buy and renovate the building. In 2010, the relationship between the owners and the city has been tense. In January, Carlisle owners took down a fence surrounding the building and opened up the sidewalk. The owners have a letter from their structural engineer that states the building was safe, but City Building Inspector Kelly Kight and Mayor Joe Sulzer inspected the building and ordered that the fence should go back up. Since then, red tape has been secured around the exterior of the building, and the Carlisle owners face $1,200 in fines for property code violations. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20100322/NEWS01/3220304/Council-to-be-updated-on-Carlisle-building
June 1, 201015 yr Adena's Chillicothe hospital opens expansion Business First of Columbus Friday, May 21, 2010 Adena Health System will start moving patients into a three-story, $45.5 million hospital addition including new maternity and women’s health and cardiac units. The 70-bed addition brings the hospital up to 252 beds. Next up is a $20 million freestanding cancer center, on which work is set to begin in the fall. It’s the latest step in a $180 million building plan that started with a $15 million medical education center that opened in 2008. The hospital and health network in Chillicothe, about 40 miles south of Columbus, has been undergoing an aggressive expansion to keep more patients from Ross County and southern Ohio close to home, while continuing clinical partnerships in Columbus. Full article: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/05/17/daily41.html
September 15, 201113 yr More about the historic Carlisle Building in downtown Chillicothe. In May 2011, Historic Chillicothe Inc. entered into a contract to buy the Carlisle Building for $225,000 from the previous owners, Carlisle Tower LLC. Now the group has announced a renovation plan for the building as reported by the Columbus Dispatch in the article below: Funds sought for renovation of historic Chillicothe building By Randy Ludlow, The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 3:44 AM A nonprofit organization is asking Chillicothe-area residents and organizations to chip in $1.5 million to save the fire-damaged Carlisle Building, which dominates the heart of downtown. Historic Chillicothe Inc., formed this year under the auspices of three area preservation groups, yesterday announced its plans for the vacant red-brick, 1880s structure, which has steadily deteriorated since a 2003 fire. The nonprofit plans a fundraising campaign this year in hopes of raising money to stabilize the building and renovate its facade, including its landmark tower, said Nancy King, president of Historic Chillicothe Inc. The group then plans to sell the structure with an easement in place to preserve its exterior or lease the building and renovate the interior to meet the needs of the major occupant, King said. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/13/funds-sought-for-renovation.html
September 15, 201113 yr Good to hear! Being on such a prominent corner and near the rail to trail, this will be a big boom for the redevelopment efforts in the town. Thanks for posting this Rider.
September 15, 201113 yr More about the Carlisle Building announcement from the Chillicothe Gazette: Carlisle group to launch $1.5 million capital campaign By Loren Genson, Gazette Staff Writer 7:11 AM, Sep. 13, 2011 CHILLICOTHE -- The new owners of the Carlisle Building are hoping to start a yearlong capital campaign to raise $1.5 million to secure and renovate the outside of the structure. Historic Chillicothe Inc., a new group with membership encompassing three local preservation organizations, said its first priority will be to secure the partially collapsed section at the back of the Carlisle Building. Since the Carlisle was partially destroyed by fire in April 2003, the building has stood empty. Previous owners have secured a temporary roof, but no major renovations or repairs have been undertaken. In the spring, the third and fourth floors near the back of the structure collapsed after suffering too much water damage. (. . .) The group said dealing with the collapse is its top priority, and the intent is to stabilize the collapsed section and secure it before the winter weather sets in. The group will then organize a nine- to 12-month capital campaign hoping to raise $1.5 million to stabilize and restore the exterior brick of the building. The group is working with architect Robert Loversidge of Schooley Caldwell Associates; William Shelley, a structural engineer with Shelley Metz Baumann Hawk Inc.; and Mark Huffer, of Utmost Renovations. READ MORE: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011109130304
September 15, 201113 yr This building is so big that, believe it or not, there are still businesses operating in parts of it even after the collapse.
February 8, 201213 yr The B&O Depot that was abandoned burned down this morning: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/302080003/Fire-abandoned-train-depot-Chillicothe
December 30, 201212 yr The State of Ohio's Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program announced a new round of tax credits earlier this month. One of the tax credits awarded went to the renovation of the Carlisle Building in downtown Chillicothe. Below is the text of the announcement from the Ohio Development Services Agency press release: Carlisle Building (Chillicothe, Ross County) Total Project Cost: $6,552,000 Total Tax Credit: $1,410,500 Address: 4 East Main and 9 South Paint Street, 45601 The Carlisle Building stands at the heart of the First Capital District in downtown Chillicothe. After a fire in 2003, several redevelopment efforts for the Carlisle have been proposed but have not moved forward. A new partnership between Adena Health Systems and the Chesler Group will rehabilitate the 35,000-square-foot structure for non-clinical functions for the hospital. A retail pharmacy, office space, housing for medical students and staff and a community room will be accommodated. More than 90 jobs are estimated to be created in the building.
February 27, 201411 yr More about the Carlisle Building in downtown Chillicothe. It looks like its getting closer to starting its renovation... Adena to house physician trainees in renovated Chillicothe landmark By Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter Columbus Business First - Feb. 13, 2014, 5:39pm EST Adena Health System signed a 15-year lease Thursday to occupy offices and apartments for doctors-in-training at the Carlisle Building, a Chillicothe landmark that’s been vacant and condemned since a 2003 fire. Cleveland-based Chesler Group Inc. will start a $7 million to $8 million restoration project this spring financed in part by state and federal historic preservation tax credits. The rehabilitation is expected to be completed in fall 2015. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/02/adena-to-house-physician-trainees-in.html
May 27, 201510 yr ^ Thanks for the update on the Carlisle Building. Glad to see they finally got that project started. BTW, great Chillicothe photo-tour you recently posted at http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,30113.msg757479.html#msg757479
October 19, 20159 yr Chillicothe’s historic Carlisle Building gets new life The long-abandoned downtown structure undergoes $10 million restoration By Holly Zachariah, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, October 19, 2015 - 8:06 AM CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The roof had collapsed, the charred walls had caved, the water-damaged floors had rotted away, and the windows were mostly gone. And don’t even try to imagine the mess left by the host of birds and vermin that occupied the decaying, historic building for a decade. “It was a scary building,” Ty McBee said as he stood inside the Carlisle Building last week. But that was then, after a fire accidentally set by two teenagers in April 2003 gutted the four-story, Romanesque-style building that since 1885 has covered a downtown block. Now, after a three-year, $10 million project, the Carlisle will reopen today with office space for Adena Health System on the first floor and 32 urban-loft apartments for the medical students in the hospital’s physician residency programs on the other three. ( . . . ) In the 12 years since the fire, the building has been through multiple owners and was headed for a sheriff’s sale more than once. Five developers and more contractors than anyone could track have walked away as ideas to save it slipped away as quickly as they came. But then a few years ago, Adena executives got serious about finding a way to invest in downtown Chillicothe, said McBee, the health system’s business development director. So Adena found Michael Chesler and his Chesler Group out of Cleveland, who had a reputation for rehabilitating buildings that others considered a lost cause. ( . . . ) Figuring out how to fund it, though, is a puzzle that people in many communities with blighted historic buildings can’t solve. ... As the developer, that was Chesler’s job. He paid $350,000 for the building and then secured a conventional bank loan; a $1 million loan and a $500,000 grant from the state’s JobsOhio; a $500,000 loan from the Chillicothe-Ross Community Foundation; received state and federal historic tax credits; and used his own money to finish the project. ... Adena officials could not provide a figure for what the hospital has invested so far - but they have committed to at least a 15-year lease with an option to buy the building from Chesler after five years. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/10/19/history-reborn.html
October 19, 20159 yr Article about the Carlisle renovation and video-tour of the renovated building from the Chillicothe Gazette: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/news/local/revitalizing-chillicothe/2015/10/07/carlisle-impresses-with-cool-factor/73139966/
October 19, 20159 yr Opinion column from the Chillicothe Gazette: Carlisle renaissance a call to action http://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/10/18/carlisle-renaissance-call-action/73667982/
April 26, 20169 yr Tours plotted for walkable, historical Chillicothe By Steve Stephens, The Columbus Dispatch Sunday, April 24, 2016 - 3:57 AM History is found on almost every corner of Chillicothe, the first Ohio capital. What helps, though, is to have an expert along to tell the tales and unearth the facts. So the Chillicothe Restoration Foundation will conduct a series of Sunday walking tours, starting May 15 with a guided stroll up historic Paint Street — to be repeated June 12. The foundation seeks “to give people an appreciation for the history and architecture we have in Chillicothe,” said Julie Lambert, a foundation member helping to organize the tours. The town, among the oldest in the state, has undergone something of a “reawakening — that’s a good word for it,” she said. One of the biggest historic downtown structures, the 1885 Carlisle Building, was given a $10 million renovation after a devastating fire several years ago — and has reopened as Adena Health System offices. The four-story Romanesque building, which covers a prominent block at Paint and Main streets, will be featured, of course, during the Paint Street walk. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/travel/2016/04/24/1-ticket-to-write-tours-plotted-for-walkable-historical-chillicothe.html
July 31, 20186 yr Here are some photos of the renovated Carlisle Building in Downtown Chillicothe. The Columbus-based architecture/historic preservation firm Schooley Caldwell designed the transformation of this historic landmark that was originally built in 1885: https://www.schooleycaldwell.com/the-carlisle-building The building survived a serious fire in 2003 and, after many failed renovation attempts, remained mostly unoccupied until a new owner put together a viable plan to bring it back to its former glory. In 2012, Cleveland-based developer, The Chesler Group, bought the building and retained Schooley Caldwell to design the major renovation. Structural stabilization was the first priority, followed by a comprehensive restoration and renovation of both the interior and exterior. According to a Dispatch article about the renovation (posted on the previous page in this thread) Chesler paid $350,000 for the building and then secured a conventional bank loan, a $1 million loan and a $500,000 grant from the state’s JobsOhio agency, a $500,000 loan from the Chillicothe-Ross Community Foundation, and received state and federal historic tax credits to fund the project. The local Adena Health System is the building's tenant - using the ground floor as office space and the upper three floors as 32 loft apartments for the medical students in the hospital’s physician residency program. Once the renovation was completed in 2015, Adena committed to a 15-year lease with an option to buy the building from Chesler after five years. Below are some photos of the renovated Carlisle Building from the architect's website and one from the 2015 Dispatch article about the renovation previous posted in this thread. There are many photos showing the severely damaged pre-renovation condition of the Carlisle Building and additional photos of the finished renovation at https://www.schooleycaldwell.com/the-carlisle-building
August 4, 20186 yr Another important project for Chillicothe and Ross County. Not nearly the showplace that the Carlisle Building is, but still very important. A new emergency room for the Adena Regional Medical Center that serves Ross and eight other southern Ohio counties. The new Adena emergency room officially opens August 11. With this project, the hospital’s emergency services space will go from 16,500 to 59,000 square feet and instead of the current 31 beds will have 63 patient care areas (not defined as “beds”, as not everyone is treated in a traditional bed and room in this new facility): DISPATCH: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180727/new-chillicothe-emergency-room-ready-to-serve-southern-ohio BUSINESS FIRST: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/27/adena-medical-center-expands-er-in-latest.html ADENA HOSPITAL: https://www.adena.org/services/page.dT/ED-Renovation
July 22, 20195 yr Stopped in Chillicothe on the way home from a weekend in Hocking Hills at Canal Street Smokehouse (so delicious! and one of the only place opened on a Sunday downtown). I saw that 50 West is opening up a Brewpub in downtown Chillicothe! Hopefully this is a really successful business for both downtown Chillicothe and 50 West. It would be so cool to find out in 50 West's whole idea is to locate a Brewpub every 100 miles or so along US 50. Who's next? Parkersburg, WV or Bedford, IN? I would definitely spend a couple months biking along Route 50 stopping at every 50 West from California to Maryland. https://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/news/2019/04/05/fifty-west-brewing-company-plans-downtown-expansion/3377713002/
February 20, 20214 yr @Chas Wiederhold Are they open yet? That place was under heavy construction forever. A place called Old Capital Brewing was also supposed to be opening up on Pain St. as well. I'm not sure what's been going on after COVID. Chillicothe has a surprisingly good restaurant and bar scene for its size. It's a really interesting city - being the first Ohio capitol and having the infrastructure of a much larger city. You'll see things like cellar door entrances for storefront buildings on the sidewalks, fire escapes and other things akin to places like Over-The-Rhine. Really cool, historic architecture. Bridge St. just blows my mind. For the life of me I'll never understand how they have like over a mile, just packed with restaurants and retail in a city of only like 30k people. And that's just Bridge St. Most people there don't even have any money. It's not like Chillicothe is even a pit stop to large cities (I don't think so, anyway...) Edited February 20, 20214 yr by David
February 23, 20214 yr On 2/20/2021 at 8:34 AM, David said: @Chas Wiederhold Are they open yet? That place was under heavy construction forever. A place called Old Capital Brewing was also supposed to be opening up on Pain St. as well. I'm not sure what's been going on after COVID. Chillicothe has a surprisingly good restaurant and bar scene for its size. It's a really interesting city - being the first Ohio capitol and having the infrastructure of a much larger city. You'll see things like cellar door entrances for storefront buildings on the sidewalks, fire escapes and other things akin to places like Over-The-Rhine. Really cool, historic architecture. Bridge St. just blows my mind. For the life of me I'll never understand how they have like over a mile, just packed with restaurants and retail in a city of only like 30k people. And that's just Bridge St. Most people there don't even have any money. It's not like Chillicothe is even a pit stop to large cities (I don't think so, anyway...) Apparently they are!
February 23, 20214 yr On 2/20/2021 at 8:34 AM, David said: @Chas Wiederhold Are they open yet? That place was under heavy construction forever. A place called Old Capital Brewing was also supposed to be opening up on Pain St. as well. I'm not sure what's been going on after COVID. Chillicothe has a surprisingly good restaurant and bar scene for its size. It's a really interesting city - being the first Ohio capitol and having the infrastructure of a much larger city. You'll see things like cellar door entrances for storefront buildings on the sidewalks, fire escapes and other things akin to places like Over-The-Rhine. Really cool, historic architecture. Bridge St. just blows my mind. For the life of me I'll never understand how they have like over a mile, just packed with restaurants and retail in a city of only like 30k people. And that's just Bridge St. Most people there don't even have any money. It's not like Chillicothe is even a pit stop to large cities (I don't think so, anyway...) The city is actually only 21K. The reason Bridge St. seems so active is twofold. 1 )Surrounding counties have very little retail; this also includes the rest of the county itself. 2) It never got a mall so the stores and parking take up a lot more space than they normally would. Sears, Elder-Beerman and JCPenney are/were all standalone or strip mall. You have/had a lot of other stores that would have been inline tenants in the mall if there was one. They would have all shared parking if there was a mall and that would have reduced the retail parking footprint greatly. When they were handing out small town malls in the '80s, Chillicothe/Ross County's population was too low to get a mall in contrast to Lancaster and Licking County which did get malls. Also the mall anchors had already built standalone locations.
February 23, 20214 yr Chillicothe is depressing. I've never seen so many outpatient drug recovery centers in my life. Probably has to do with how government insurance pays higher reimbursement rates for a drug counseling session than they do for an MRI.
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