Collaboration is Key to Our Connected Community
Grove City prides itself on having a welcoming, inclusive and connected community, where residents can thrive and businesses flourish. This is not something that happens overnight or without effort. We collaborate intentionally with businesses, civic organizations and educational institutions to provide a strong civic foundation.
Highlighted by milestone activities, some of our most valued partnerships took center stage in 2022.
We celebrated the 170th anniversary of Grove City’s founding by William Foster Breck in 1852 with multiple events. Thanks to our treasured partnership with the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society, residents and visitors were treated to historical reenactments, displays of memorabilia, open houses and celebrations honoring our past. The society, highlighted on page XX of this issue of Discover, also celebrated an anniversary this year, preserving our community’s history now for 40 years.
In August, we joined in the exciting ribbon-cutting and opening of the new Beulah Park Middle School to kick off the school year. The milestone event emphasized our ongoing and highly valued partnership with the South-Western City School District (SWCSD). It was through multiple joint efforts between SWCSD, the Beulah Park Living developer and surrounding property owners that it became possible for us to donate the land on which the school is now located.
Outstanding collaboration between SWCSD and the City also provides opportunities for concerted disaster planning. Earlier this year, Jackson Township and SWCSD joined together with the City to participate in a functional disaster training exercise, giving all entities a chance to plan and prepare for the unexpected. This is a multi-tiered partnership proving vital to the protection of our most vulnerable citizens.
This same level of cooperation and participation is what drives the City’s new Action Plan to Promote Mental Health and Prevent Substance Use Disorders, a wide-reaching effort implemented this year. SWCSD, Grove City Mount Carmel Hospital, OhioHealth Grove City Hospital, and local mental health and substance use disorder professionals are working with other City partners to break down the stigma of mental illness and substance use disorders, increase resource visibility, and support recovery.
Our welcoming and connected community takes planning, strong civic and business leadership, and a commitment to do what is right for Grove City now and in the future. The most successful
communities leverage the strengths, skills and resources of each partner, making the whole stronger than the sum of its parts. Embracing collaboration as a fundamental principal has been key to what makes us the “Best Hometown.”
Mayor Richard L. “Ike” Stage
Council Briefs | Share in the Holiday Spirit of Giving
This time of year often reminds me of the wonderful conversion that takes place as children grow up. They transition from being the joy-filled recipient of the gifts of the season to being part of the magic themselves. There is probably no prouder moment for parents and guardians than when they recognize that their young ones have realized how much they truly delight in giving.
Over my 29 years as a Grove City resident, I have noticed that we are a community of givers. On any given day in our city, there are countless acts of generosity occurring while you and I are living our everyday lives. These actions play out in our schools, faith communities, places of employment and recreational facilities. The spirit of giving is quietly at work in every nonprofit entity that calls Grove City home. Residents give of their time, expertise and financial support to make certain the missions of these organizations are fulfilled.
I recently spoke to a longstanding volunteer at the Grove City Food Pantry, who shared that their shelves were nearly bare. All those who were in earshot of this conversation leaned in to find out what they could do to be of assistance. My challenge to each of you during this holiday season is to talk with your families about how you may best give a gift via one of the charitable organizations in our community. Maybe it’s participating in the Angel Tree at your church, donating toys for Cram the Cruiser, sorting food for the White Christmas Food Drive, volunteering at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective or making a financial contribution. The options are endless, and the rewards often countless.
Christine Houk, Council Member, Ward 3
The Southwest Franklin County Historical Society
Keepers of Grove City heritage
The Southwest Franklin County Historical Society is the ideal entity to highlight for this installment of the Department Spotlight series. Though not a City department, the Society plays a vital role in preserving and sharing the history of Grove City, using artifacts and information dating back to and before its founding by William Foster Breck in 1852. The Society, along with several other dedicated organizations, are the keepers of the “bridge” from our past to the future.
Just as relatives do at a family reunion, Grove Citians have always found time to come together to share stories about the community’s history and pass them down from generation to generation. By the early 1980s, one group of longtime Grove City residents regularly met to reminisce. Recognizing the substantial growth of the city, they saw a need to document their stories and historical discoveries for future generations. The group took steps to create a permanent historical society.
Now 40 years strong, the Society continues to bring together those interested in the history of Grove City, the Village of Urbancrest, and Jackson, Pleasant, Prairie and Franklin townships, sharing all that has been remembered and documented about the history of our hometown. Meeting once a month, members continue the mission of collecting information and memorabilia, while creating new ways to promote interest in the City’s past.
Volunteers from the Society manage the historical sites in Grove City –including the Grant-Sawyer Home, 4126 Haughn Rd., and Century Village, 4185 Orders Rd. – and host several events and tours each year. They also assist in staffing and managing artifacts and displays at the Welcome Center and Museum, 3378 Park St.
Grove City’s 170th Anniversary Celebration was supported by the efforts of the Society as the City sought historical accuracy throughout all activities.
The Society is approximately 170 members strong and all ages are invited to join, participate and learn. As member and history author Janet Shailer points out, “It’s important to preserve a community’s history for those people who will determine its future.”
The Southwest Franklin County Historical Society meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 3220 Columbus St. Meetings are open to the public and visitors are welcome. Visit grovecityohhistory.org for more information.
Gateway Bridge
An investment in community connectivity
By Kyle Rauch
The 2020 U.S. Census confirmed Grove City and other central Ohio suburbs are experiencing population growth, illustrating the demand for new residential projects such as Farmstead, Trail View Run and Beulah Park Living. The growth also necessitates economic expansion, including new restaurants, hotels and businesses from diversified industries.
The GroveCity2050 Community Plan – the City’s guiding policy document on land use, transportation and economic development, adopted by the City and Jackson Township – identified the southwest area as a significant opportunity for growth. This area represents the City’s new economy, offering approximately 1,000 acres for developers to invest in innovative industries such as advanced medical and manufacturing facilities.
Although I-71 provides a tremendous interjurisdictional asset for current and future businesses for transporting goods and providing consumer accessibility, its bisection of our community is also a barrier, limiting local vehicle and pedestrian connections across the city. To accommodate future development in the southwest Grove City area and provide improved accessibility and connectivity throughout the community, a plan for a new I-71 overpass and partial interchange between SR665 and the Hoover Road overpass was introduced.
Beyond the potential economic benefits, the proposed crossing represents a generational infrastructure investment that will serve the needs of our expanding community over the coming decades. Today, Grove City’s population is approximately 43,000, and we are within the central Ohio region that is anticipated to increase by more than a million people over the next three decades. In preparation for this growth, it is important to invest in strategic infrastructure to avoid further burdening the four connections over and under I-71. The proposed overpass and partial interchange will better facilitate the future development, while disseminating traffic along Stringtown, White and Hoover roads, and SR665.
Approximately 40% of Grove City’s population lives on the east side of I-71, and that continues to increase as residential developments flourish in the southeast. The new overpass will improve vehicle travel and provide an additional opportunity to grow multiuse trail connectivity. Preliminary renderings include substantial attractive pathways for pedestrians, many winding through new and established neighborhoods and feeding into the City’s extensive park system.
Moving forward with development of the southwest area, referred to in plans as the Southwest Regional Medical and Innovation Gateway, careful attention is being paid to meet the needs and desires of investors and residents. City planners anticipate high-paying employment and professional jobs, as well as dining and entertainment establishments, will be attracted to the area. Together with walkable streets and inviting social areas, the new, vibrant district will further enhance the City’s hometown feel.
The proposed overpass is a major component in developing the region. In September, City Council passed a resolution supporting administration’s application for funding assistance from the Mid-Ohio Regional
Planning Commission (MORPC), the first step toward financing the venture. Securing MORPC grants will unlock the potential for additional federal and state funding opportunities.
These same initiatives were employed when the City successfully secured approximately 87% of the overall $34 million cost of reconfiguring the SR665/I-71 interchange, opened in 2012.
The “Gateway Bridge” overpass and partial interchange is a project likely to take four or five years to realize after funding is secured; however, development in the region will continue. For more information regarding the project, visit bit.ly/GCGATEWAY.
