Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 7

125 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 7 partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and Clean Ohio, the city is racing to become a green-certified city. Programs stemming from this initiative include the launch of a recycling program in 2019 with new recycling carts for residents; starting to use new solar technology; and scouting out grants for charging stations to increase its current stock to 15 with the communities of Gahanna and Whitehall. The council’s hiring process reflects the green city initiative, as it recently hired three arborists who help the city replant trees, develop an urban forestry program, and expand its parks and outdoor amenities. As part of this expansion, the city and central Ohio regional cities launched “Rapid Five” to boost green transportation – linking trails in communities so residents opt to ride a bike or run from city to city. The region is using millions of dollars to restore streambanks in parks, add miles of trail and new community gardens, and create areas for kayaking and boating. The green initiatives are just a sliver of Reynoldsburg’s revamping projects. Kickstarting revival of areas that haven’t seen construction since the 1950s and 1960s is a priority. One such project, the Gateway Alliance Project, is at the city’s western gateway, where Reynoldsburg will say “Goodbye” to vacant buildings of businesses shuttered during the market collapse of 2007/2008. Developer Alliance is demolishing the Kmart building on the corner of Brice and Main and several nearby buildings to construct a $200 million walkable mixed- use project with four-story buildings, ground- floor retail, a boutique hotel, a conference center, medical offices, state-of-the-art library, and housing. Demolition is set for August and construction will start next year. They will work alongside other local developers, including Trivium Development, Crawford Hoying, and The Columbus Metropolitan Library to modernize Reynoldsburg. REYNOLDSBURG, OHIO While working on its Happy Dragon project, the city plans to purchase a PNC Bank and redevelop it as an office building next to the new $30 million community center that opened in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Bowsher admits, “Of course, the pandemic didn’t necessarily help membership rates and people going – we took that, and we’ve continued to build off of it.” This positive outlook is shared across Reynoldsburg as it stays on the course to become an independent and sustainable city up for any challenge. Bowsher explains, “The next three to five years, even 10 years down the road, we’re going to take all that great work and the framework that we’ve laid out and continue moving the ball down the field. It’s truly a bright future for our current and future residents”