ASHLAND — The grand entrance to the city’s long awaited and not yet materialized Pump House District is now at least partially funded.
Ashland City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution granting the acceptance of a $150,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for its “Urban Meadow Park Connector Trail.”
The project qualifies under ODNR’s Capital Improvement for Community Parks, Recreation and Conservation Program, according to the city’s resolution language.
The entrance, Ashland Mayor Matt Miller has said, will connect the Pump House District to downtown via Foundation Plaza.
In September 2022, council approved spending $30,000 in demolition costs for two houses along Third Street to make room for the connector trail.
Those houses have since been demolished.
Where one house was previously located now stands a warehouse facility for Ashland Monument. Miller said the company agreed to give up its parking lot in exchange for taking over one of the lots.
Miller said the connector trail will likely be built in 2024. He does not have an estimate on how much it will cost.
“But I’m not sure it will cost too much more,” he said. “We’ll have trees and landscaping along an existing alley … and probably some ornamental lighting.”
The latest on the Pump House District
Moment Development, a Columbus-based developer, agreed to buy the former Pump House building on Orange Road for $400,000 in March.
The developer intends on renovating the existing structure into a boutique hotel with up to 70 rooms.
The deal, however, is contingent upon Vision Development moving forward with its apartment developments.
Vision plans to build up to 150 apartment units and other commercial spaces such as restaurants and shops on 19 parcels within the Pump House District.
The development will surround the planned “urban meadow,” which has been described as featuring ultra-modern art, concrete walking pads, a steel tree, outdoor musical instruments and a sun dial.
Up the road, at Orange and Seventh streets, a developer out of Arizona has put his project on the former Hess and Clark building on hold, Miller said.
Developer John Pacheco initially planned to build a data center on the property before becoming interested in building a seven-story apartment building named the “Parkview Apartments” with 150-300 units overlooking the urban meadow.
In October 2022, Pacheco scrapped that plan by tapping CBRE to look into building a hotel there.
related coverage
Miller said investors have put that project on hold, however.
“I think it has to do with rising construction costs,” he said.
When asked if that reality makes him worried about Vision’s commitment to building apartments in the Pump House District, the mayor projected confidence the Columbus developers will move forward with the project.
“These guys are committed. They’re excited for the project; they’re just as eager as I am to get started,” he said.