EDITOR'S NOTE: This story shared with the Richland Source properties, was a collaboration between Eye on Ohio and The Cleveland Street Chronicle. Vending was suspended in the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. This story appears in the June/July issue being distributed by badged vendors at the West Side Market and other areas in downtown Cleveland and the east side.

Nearly two months before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Ashland County, area leaders met to consider how to respond to a potential influenza-like global pandemic. 

MANSFIELD — Reggie Gamble never spent much time standing on the sidelines as a player and he's not about to do it now either.

Read Ashland Source's entire Solutions Journalism series about the potential of downtown's South Street and lessons learned from nearby Mansfield and Lebanon, Ohio. The series published as five separate stories in early June.

As Ashland ponders the long-term potential for South Street, nearby Mansfield’s popular summer concert venue could provide inspiration and a few lessons on how to create a unique space -- one that feels special to the community and is different enough from other places to draw from elsewhere.

Over the years, Lebanon has taken steps to enhance both the functionality and their community’s assessment of their downtown festivities including establishing a designated drinking are downtown and installing removable bollards to create an entertainment district.

This is part III of a multi-part series. Read about Ashland's South Street and its potential here.

Lebanon, Ohio and Ashland share similar characteristics.  A few years ago, Lebanon began a downtown revitalization project that impacted their community and businesses.  

ASHLAND -- It’s hard to imagine any type of gathering in the midst of social distancing requirements. But what if Ashland’s South Street could be intentionally transformed into a gathering space -- for a later time?