Governor Mike DeWine announced 30 major economic development projects in Ohio’s Appalachian region that will raise the area’s profile as a travel destination and improve the quality of life for local residents.
DeWine spoke Wednesday by a large field where the University of Rio Grande will build a new $11.9 million facility in McArthur. Elected officeholders from all across Southeast Ohio were present for the announcement that shared how projects in Athens, Hocking, Jackson and Vinton counties will receive millions of dollars in funding.
“We went through a process and the process was that local communities got together,” DeWine said. “Sometimes it was one community, sometimes it was numerous, and said, this is kind of what we want to do. And so the ideas came from here and I think that is something that we should keep in mind because we don’t think we know what’s best in Columbus. We don’t — you know what’s best for your community. And that’s true. Whether it is Jackson County, Vinton County, whatever county that we’re talking about.”
As part of the new Appalachian Downtowns and Destinations Initiative, $154 million will be infused into communities across 12 counties to revitalize historic downtown districts, create new opportunities for recreation, and amplify the experience for those visiting the region’s cultural sites.
“Our state’s origins are in Appalachia. It’s where our history began. But right now — this is Appalachia’s time to flourish,” DeWine said. “These unprecedented investments in Appalachia will be transformative for those who live here, turning their visions for the future into reality.”
The $154 million will be used to improve infrastructure at parks, trails and museums; support enhancements to historical native landmarks; renovate downtown spaces and main streets; and create new hubs for education, economic development, health care and community engagement in areas where these opportunities have not previously existed.
Athens, Logan, Jackson and Chauncey are among the communities whose downtown districts will be revitalized.
“These are defining investments that will reenergize Ohio’s Appalachian communities for generations to come,” Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik said. “We are creating spaces that honor our heritage and foster connection, creativity, and community pride among everyone who lives in and visits this region.”
Mihalik shared a list of places near and far that will benefit from this funding — towns and cities that will be transformed across Appalachia; how the Governor’s legacy will echo for an eternity.
“You’ve unlocked the secret. That’s the recipe collaboration for genuine, tangible change that leaves a lasting and positive impact on every person, every business in every town in Appalachia. Governor, I want to thank you for your vision for this program and certainly for in Ohio where every person, no matter where they are, can live up to their full potential,” she said.
The University of Rio Grande will build a new $11.9 million facility, the McArthur Center, that will be a hub for education, economic development, healthcare, and community engagement. The facility will be located near the county’s only public high school and will offer affordable education for in-demand jobs like healthcare and advanced manufacturing, catering to students with limited access to such opportunities. The center will include spaces to serve as classrooms, event venues, and office space for community partners. Holzer Health Systems is a committed community partner that will provide after-hours healthcare and telemedicine services in a community critically in need of access to these services.
“This facility will be a hub for healthcare, for community engagement and economic development,” DeWine said. “It’ll offer event and office space as well as offer afterhours healthcare and telehealth services from Holzer Health will also be available. So it’s going to accomplish and do an awful lot of different things. Located right next to the high school, MacArthur Center will offer affordable higher education, including training for in-demand jobs like healthcare and advanced manufacturing.”
University of Rio Grade President Ryan Smith praised DeWine’s vision. “We haven’t had a governor who’s been through southeast Ohio as much as he has. A lot of the governors didn’t know MacArthur from McDermott, he did. And he knows the challenges that we face and all of the things that can happen. And when I explained the project, the last thing that I remember is he instantly saw the value that we’re talking about. And he understood again, what it would mean to this community. So I sincerely appreciate that.”
Smith said the McArthur Center will be transformational for Vinton County.
“One of my favorite lines from Ronald Reagan comes to mind — ‘The best social program I ever saw was a job.’ It’s getting them a good job. How do you get a good job? You give them a good education. You build a strong workforce and then you attract jobs and people can go to work where they live, where they want live. And that’s what this is all about to me, it’s all about access and opportunity. They don’t have to drive out of this county to have a high quality education in a great building.”
The Village of Zaleski will receive $3.6 million to enhance and insert trailheads from the village to the Moonville Rail Trail, Zaleski State Forest, and Lake Hope and connect the community park to the Moonville Rail Trail. This will also rehabilitate the community’s downtown park and the trails will provide access to Pre-Historic Native American Mounds.
The City of Athens will receive about $6.6 million for a beautification project in the central business district. Downtown revitalization and modernization work will include utility burial, new landscaping and streetscaping, pedestrian improvements, and corridor extensions in the northern portion of the central business district, toward the Armory and Carpenter Street. These improvements will complement the renovated Athens Armory, which was awarded in the first round of the Appalachian Community Grant Program.
More good news — Athens will receive more than $7 million to restore Mount Zion Baptist Church. The church is currently in severe disrepair and will undergo rehabilitation to become the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, creating a multipurpose community and educational space for Southeast Ohio.
In an email to supporters, Mount Zion Black Cultural Center Board Member Tee Ahmed-Ford, who was at the DeWine’s event in McArthur, noted that the center received all of the money they asked for.
“You know I’m over the moon,” she said.
Southeast Ohio History Center Building, on West State Street in Athens, will receive more than $2.6 million in funding to renovate of a three-story historic building.
The Village of Chauncey will receive more than $1.9 million to revitalize its downtown district, including sidewalks, lighting, street landscaping, and wayfinding signs. The downtown district will connect to the Baileys Trail system and a new local park.
The City of Logan will receive more than $14.3 million to transform Mulberry Street (State Route 93) into a welcoming corridor for visitors to the city and the Hocking Hills region. The project includes the addition of new signage, archways, improved landscaping, and decorative intersections. Additionally, the city will convert Main Street (between High and Orchard Streets) into a “complete street” by reorganizing surface parking to accommodate wider sidewalks and a shared-use path to improve pedestrian safety. The city intends to add new lighting to both enhance the downtown district’s visual appeal and improve safety. Worthington Park will also be expanded and transformed, doubling in size, to include a bouldering/climbing wall, overhead canopies, and new spaces to hold large community gatherings.
The City of Jackson will receive nearly $3.7 million to complete revitalization efforts in Jackson’s downtown district along Main and Broadway streets. These efforts include sidewalk enhancements for pedestrian accessibility, streetscapes, enhancements to the city’s farmers market space, including a shelter house, and improvements to boost the downtown’s capacity for community events.
The Village of Oak Hill in nearby Jackson County will receive $307,630 in funding to make critical repairs at the Welsh American Heritage Museum will make critical repairs to its historic facility in downtown Oak Hill. Work will include reconstruction of the steeple, restoration, and weatherization of the stained-glass windows and two original front doors, façade improvements, and ADA-compliant installments at the entrance.
The University of Rio Grande will receive nearly $1.3 million to renovate and furnish open garage space to house a new manufacturing and robotics training center. The Jackson Center will be focused on a partnership between the university and Ohio Means Jobs to bring training opportunities to support local industry employer needs.
A partnership between Adena Health System and Jackson County Economic Development Partnership will oversee $1.6 million in renovations for a vacant building in Wellston to house and expand Adena-based medical services to meet the growing healthcare demand in the community.
Chesterhill Auction Site in nearby Morgan County will receive $977,635 for upgrades for the livestock sales barn, electrical, bathrooms, commercial kitchen, and an expansion to accommodate more produce.
Among the historical sites that will undergo enhancements include the historic Monroe Theater in Woodsfield, the Black Horse Inn Underground Railroad Museum in Morristown, the Serpent Mound in Adams County, and Ross County’s four Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks sites, which are included in Ohio’s first UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Funding for the Appalachian Downtowns and Destinations Initiative is being awarded through the larger Appalachian Community Grant Program, which is investing $500 million into Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region. The DeWine-Husted Administration spearheaded this unprecedented investment with support from the Ohio General Assembly in 2022.
Nearly $200 million in remaining Appalachian Community Grant Program funding will be announced in coming weeks. The program is administered by the Governor’s Office of Appalachia within the Ohio Department of Development.
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