ASHLAND — Nearly $4.4 million in state funding is on its way to projects in Ashland County.
There are 11 projects in Ashland County being bolstered by the money, known as Ohio’s One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund, a $717 million pot of money set aside in House Bill 33 that passed in June.
The grants are made available through applications on projects that might not qualify for the state’s traditional Capital Budget. That budget happens every two years.
Each chamber of the Legislature planned for $350 million of the total amount.
There are no matching funds needed, and the money needs to be spent within two years of receiving it.
State Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) said she’s pleased with how the program is benefitting villages and townships.
“When I was campaigning, I was a strong voice for bringing these taxpayer dollars back home,” she said. “It’s going to have a great impact on our local communities. I love that it’s being spread out to not just the cities, but to the villages and townships too.”
Miller, who represents all of Ashland County and part of Medina County, said there were at least 100 applicants for the one-time funding. Her office did not choose the recipients, however. She said she developed a list that ranked projects by priority, but that the House’s finance committee chose the final recipients.
There are nine projects receiving funding from the One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund and two others that received boosts from the state’s Capital Investments.
Read about each project below.
Charles Mill Marina Houseboat and Path Renovation — $910,000
Andrew Schraedly, co-owner of Charles Mill Marina, said the project will solve some erosion issues that have gone largely unattended since 1986.
“There’s never really been a substantial renovation there,” he said. “So the biggest use of the funds will be erosion control on the path.”
The marina serves as a dock for roughly 65 boats, Schraedly said. The quarter-mile path that leads to those docks and houseboats is the target for improvement. Electric capabilities will also be improved along the path and dock.
It’s a big project. He said the whole thing will cost $1.6 million. The remainder of the project will be funded through grants available through the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and the marina’s own funding.
However, the marina’s portion of the project will not lead to “dramatic increases” in rates to houseboats docked there, he said.
He also doesn’t want to interrupt the boating season with the project. So the earliest it could start is November.
Strategic Community Investment Fund recipients
Ashland County Fair — $1.1 million
Cathy Rice, the fair board’s secretary, said the money will go toward constructing a 35,000 square-foot civic center.
Officials of the Ashland County Agricultural Society, also known as the fair board, have said the civic center will host shows, business meetings and private events like weddings and parties.
Estimates for building the civic center are between $6 million and $7.5 million.
The fair board kicked off a fundraising campaign last week. The committee plans to raise another $6 million toward the project, on top of the $1.1 million grant awarded from the state.
Rice said the state’s grant toward the project makes it more real.
“It’s a hefty start, for sure,” she said. “And appreciated. Very much appreciated.”
Cinnamon Lake Sewer District Lift Station — $1 million
The wastewater district that serves 560 customers at Cinnamon Lake is slated for upgrades with this money.
The grant will be awarded to the Lorain County Rural Wastewater District (LORCO), the entity that oversees sewage treatment at Cinnamon Lake and parts of Lorain County.
Gene Toy, LORCO’s executive director, has said the organization will use the money to upgrade the eight lift stations.
Hugo Young Theatre — $248,554
The Hugo Young Theatre sits on Ashland University’s campus.
According to AU’s website, it “houses many of the Theatre Department’s main stage and student productions, the Music Department’s major concerts, Ashland Symphony Orchestra performances and a variety of other campus and community activities.”
Miller said the theatre is one of the oldest in the area. The application for funding stated the money would be used for safety upgrades, functional enhancements and aesthetic improvements to the theatre.
Davy McClure Outdoor Education Center — $200,000
The building of the Davy McClure Outdoor Education Center came mostly from donors, said Eric Schneider, the director of the Ashland County Parks District.
But, there’s still work to be completed. According to Schneider, the $200,000 the center will receive from the state will go toward completing the center.
The center also received a $500,000 allotment for site improvements.
Ashland Fire Training Facility — $200,000
Since the Ashland Fire Department acquired its second station in 2020, Captain Chad Buzzard said it’s been a dream to have a training facility out there.
Buzzard, who serves as the training captain for the Ashland Fire Department, said training facilities (like the one the Strategic Community Investment Fund dollars will go toward) offer an opportunity for firefighters to get hands-on experience.
The vision for it, Buzzard said, is a three-story structure on the site of the Ashland Fire Department’s Station Two.
The fire department will be able to burn straw and skids in it. It will also allow for search-and-rescue practice, hose-movement practice, high-rise tactics and for firefighters to get used to going up and down steps.
The training facility will be built by a company based in Marengo, Buzzard said. The company, Forge Fire & Company, boasts that it’s built more than 20 active training sites, according to its website.
It also installs forcible entry doors and offers training resources.
The $200,000 will cover a piece of the project, according to Buzzard and Ashland Fire Chief Rick Anderson. Anderson and Buzzard said the Samaritan Foundation will fund the rest of the project’s cost.
Buzzard said the city of Ashland will own and operate the structure, but all county fire departments can use it for training at no cost. The vision, Buzzard said, is for Ashland Fire — and more specifically, himself — to act as a facilitator for the space.
“It’s just as much theirs as it is ours,” Buzzard said.
The Ashland Fire Department also hopes to host regional trainings at the facility, which will generate revenue, Buzzard said.
Details of the structure will be finalized and more information about an installation timeline could be available after a July 10 meeting with the city and builder.
“The citizens will ultimately be the ones who benefit from a better-trained fire crew showing up on-scene at their emergencies,” Buzzard said.
Hickey Street Sanitary Sewer Lift Station — $76,000
Miller said the Hickory Street Sanitary Sewer Lift Station is located in the village of Savannah.
Ashland Source contacted Tom Kruse, the mayor of Savannah, for comment, but did not receive a response by time of publication.
When Kruse ran for re-election as Savannah’s mayor in 2023, he told Ashland Source he’d helped with developing a sewer treatment plant in the village. He pointed to infrastructure as an area he took the lead on and took pride in during the re-election bid.
Miller said the project will provide sanitary sewer service to several lots in and around Savannah. She said these dollars don’t typically go toward sanitary sewer projects, but added that infrastructure is necessary in Savannah.
Rowsburg Community Center — $30,000
The Rowsburg Community Center, located in Perry Township, has served as a hub where community members to host graduation parties, birthday parties and various meetings for decades, said township trustee Burton Williams.
But, Williams said, the over 100-year-old building has a roof leak that ruined parts of the inside.
He filled out the application to secure the Strategic Community Investment Fund funding to replace the roof, gutter, drywall and brick facade of the building. The funds will cover part of the improvements, Williams said.
He said the community also raised about $10,000 to go toward the project.
Hayesville Pedestrian Walkway — $25,000
Robin Beasley, the mayor of Hayesville, said the $25,000 the village will receive from the state will pay to put a sidewalk in front of five homes at the southern end of the village.
With that sidewalk, Beasley said Hayesville will now have pathways from one end of town to another.
The $25,000 Hayesville is set to receive from the state will pay for the entire rest of the project, with some volunteer help flagging for traffic and prepping the ground for concrete, Beasley said.
Beasley added there’s 11 children between the five homes. The sidewalk, she said, will make it easier for them to walk back and forth to the park.
It will also make the route of the village’s annual Memorial Day parade an easier walk, Beasley said.
“I can’t thank Melanie (Miller) enough for going to bat for us,” Beasley said.
While larger projects received funding in the bill, Beasley emphasized the impact of those dollars and how it matters for smaller ones, too.
Capital investments
Davy McClure Outdoor Education Center Site Improvements — $500,000
According to a press release from Schneider, the capital investment the Davy McClure Outdoor Education Center received will “further enhance the community’s investment in the project.”
Schneider told Ashland Source the funding will go toward developing trails. It will also help pay for parking, along with developing other natural features.
“For a small agency like us, the impact is huge,” Schneider said.
He explained the parks district operates on a levy. Most of that money goes to paying salaries, according to Schneider. But, he said, these dollars will go straight back to the community.
Foundations Community Childcare Center, Inc. — $101,129
Miller said the funds for Foundations Community Childcare Center will be used for three very specific items:
- A generator for the facility
- Security window film installation
- Storage shed
Foundations Community Childcare Center opened its doors for the community in June. The opening came after a nearly four-year process of raising funds, building the center and receiving its license from the state.
