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Copyright 2008

Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce
45 E. Main St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-702-2722

Downtown Chillicothe getting

$1 million in improvements

By Marvin Jones

President and CEO

Roofs will be replaced, electric wiring will be improved, heating and air conditioning will work better, facades will look better and a myriad of other problems will be resolved when owners of property in downtown Chillicothe invest about another $1 million in the historic business district next year.

The renovations, repairs and additions will be funded in part from the $400,000 grant the city of Chillicothe will receive in early 2009. With City Council’s approval, the administration applied for the competitive grant as part of its efforts outlined in the HyettPalma Downtown Chillicothe Economic Enhancement Strategic Plan released in 2007.

Consultant Michael Secoy and Associates, working with Chief of Staff Matt Allen’s office, pulled together the information to submit the grant and will be the lead administrator. A meeting of property owners who submitted about 40 preliminary applications probably will be held early in January to give them instructions on how to submit final applications. Actual work on structures should begin in the spring and be finished by this time next year.

In addition to the improvement by private property owners, the city plans to improve physically the parking lots on West Second and West Main streets, similar to what was done on the lot at Fourth and Paint streets recently.

Any renovations affecting the outside appearance of a building will need approval from the city’s Design Review Board.

Apartment complex going up

Building permits totaling $3.4 million issued by the Ross County Building Department clear the way for construction of 50 apartment units and a community building on Anderson Station Road across from the North Fork Animal Clinic near Clinton Road. Nine buildings are in the works: five with 8 units, 1 with four and 3 with two units. The permits were issued to Ardmore Crossing LLC which is affiliated with the WODA Group.

Developments keep investments flowing

In addition to the new apartment complex, Chillicothe and Ross County continue to benefit from many other developments in these tough times, keeping people in jobs and creating new ones. A refresher:

• Adena Health System: Construction proceeds on the northeast expansion as well as several other areas on the campus. New doctors, nurses, technicians and others will be added in the coming months.
• Menards: The massive home improvement store plans to open early next year on North Bridge Street. A Sonic restaurant was in the original plans for one of the lots in front of the building.
• Walgreens: More site work needs to be done before the walls start going up on the pharmacy at Western Avenue at Plyley’s Lane. IBI Construction is converting the former Skate-A-Way into a storage building.
• Chipotle: Dec. 12 (next Friday) is the opening date for the Mexican food restaurant in front of Sam’s Club on North Bridge Street. No more word on the Japanese restaurant that could be going next to it.
• Little Ceasers: Next to the new Penn Station East Coast Subs in the former JR Valentines on Bridge Street, it will be a drive-through/pickup only establishment.
• Filling Station: New owners opened the downtown tavern on North Paint Street last week and have plans to eventually serve lunch and dinner.

Country club to host holiday BAB

The Chillicothe Country Club is hosting the Dec. 17 Business After Business, a change from what was previously announced. If your organization would like to serve as a co-sponsor with promotional exposure, give us a call at 702-2722. Appetizers and beer will be available while all other beverages will be handled on a cash bar basis. Sign up now if you’re planning to attend: BAB registration

Prevailing wage rules may get amended

In what looks to be a compromise, Gov. Ted Strickland is converting his former ruling on using prevailing wage into a draft for new rules that will go to a state agency for review. That has state Sen. John Carey dropping his bid to introduce legislation to further define the rules. The agency now will sort out the information and issue the new guidelines on using prevailing wages on private projects that receive state aid in the form of grants, incentives, loans, etc. The chamber’s Advocacy Committee and Board of Directors wrote to the governor urging a second look at the regulations.

Like current events, politics? Join us.

The chamber’s Advocacy Committee discussed the prevailing wage issue, keeps pushing the City Council and administration for better planning and discussed the red light cameras at its last meeting. This group will continue to look at issues that directly or indirectly affect chamber members and make recommendations on positions to the full Board of Directors. If you’d like to join in on the conversations, debate and discussion, either plan to attend the next monthly meeting of the committee at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 in the chamber or let us know of your interest by emailing mjones@chillicotheohio.com.

Take new rates into consideration for 2009 budgets

When preparing or fine-tuning your budgets for next year, make sure to take into account the 15 percent increase in electric rates (if you are an AEP customer), a 5 percent increase in natural gas rates (if you are a Columbia Gas customer) and the lowering of the mileage reimbursement rate by the IRS to 55 cents for business travel from 58.5 cents.

Printing site closing; papers to come from Newark

The Newspaper Network of Central Ohio announced this week it is closing its Advantage Press printing plant in Carroll in Fairfield County in February and shifting operations to its Newark plant. The Chillicothe Gazette and Ross County Advertiser both are printed at the Carroll plant. No word on if the move will mean a change in the Gazette’s delivery time.

Building permits issued recently by the Chillicothe and Ross County Building Departments:

• Buena Vista Properties, 84 E. Second St., signage, no value given.
• Herlihy Rentals, 87 S. Walnut St., window replacement, painting, no value given.
• Herrs Potato Chips, 476 E. Seventh St., alteration of overhead door, $5,800.
• New North Star Development, 1290 N. Bridge St., signs, $2,500.
• Eagles, 378 Douglas Ave., roof, $25,000.
• Glatfelter, 401 S. Paint St., electrical service upgrade, $5,000.
• Steven and Cynthia Colby-Axe, 256 and 260 Woodbridge Ave., roofing, two permits, total value $11,050.
• Henry and Sherry Mullins, 787 N. Bridge St., signs, $3,800.
• Emro Marketing, 1136 E. Main St. (Speedway), signs, $2,500.
• Henry and Sherry Mullins, 787 N. Bridge St. (Little Caesers), alterations, $30,000.
• DDR Chillicothe, 885 N. Bridge St. (Waterbeds & Stuff moving into former CVS), fire protection, $6,830.
• Applegate Apartments, 1911 Western Ave., repairs, no value given.
• Lighthouse Youth Center, 1071 tong Hollow Road, install generator, no value given.
• Ross County Humane Society, 2308 Lick Run Road, new pet food storage building, no value given.
• The Recording Workshop, 455 Massieville Road, porch, door and sidewalks, $6,000.
• SBA, 1291 Simmons Road, collocate existing communications tower, $34,500.
• John Waugh Barber, 16620 Ohio 28, alterations for change of use, $2,000.
• Adena Health System, 272 Hospital Road, install cell antennas, $30,000.
• Ardmore Crossing LLC, 2260 Anderson Station Road, new apartment buildings and community building, 11 permits, $3,442,250.
• WODA Construction, 341 Maple St., Frankfort, electrical, no value given.
• Jojo’s Café, 21 N. Main St., Kingston, alterations for change of use, $1,500.

Vendors licenses issued recently by the Ross County Auditor’s Office:

Simply Sisters, 2419 Simmons Road, by Mary Jackson.

• The Filling Station, 66 N. Paint St., by Blue Chip Management.
• Paradise Pizza, 11604 U.S. 50, by Brandy Newlan.
• Piela’s Place, 1234 Rolfe Road, Greenfield, by Pierre Menard.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill, 1290 N. Bridge St.
• Hertz Car Rental, 1532 N. Bridge St., by Byers Car Rentals.