Under Construction

We're all itching for some new home construction to be the real sign of economic recovery, but it looks like we'll have to wait a little while longer.  In the meantime, everyone has been keeping an eye on the exciting expansion projects at The J.M. Smucker Company and curiously watching the various downtown building renovations being undertaken by Orrville Redevelopment.  Mrs. J's restaurant looks fabulous, doesn't it?  

So even without residential development, it has not been dead around here at all.

I spent a little time driving around last Sunday, just to see what I could find "under construction" to share as the latest progress stories in Orrville.  In less than an eight mile radius I found plenty to feel good about.  Here are five examples of  "Thrive Here!" as we begin to wrap up 2011.

Brenn-Field Nursing Center has gotten quite a lot done on their big expansion project.  You can read about it HERE.

 
To the left is a picture of the new drive up portico, which will totally change the facade and overall look of the building.   

The photo below is their new Gathering Building.  There are other additions, too, and it's all looking good.  Congratulations to Brenn-Field for moving forward, growing and helping people continue to thrive in their later years.

Last week I had the privilege of attending a very nice groundbreaking ceremony at the Orrville YMCA.  Bulldozers are now humming about to get started with their exciting expansion project.

Looks like the Y is not only helping people be healthy and thrive, but they are thriving quite well themselves!

Another local not-for-profit organization that's growing and thriving is the Salvation Army.  It's been exciting to watch the progress on their building purchase, renovation and addition.   They broke ground in July, so it's impressive to see how much they have accomplished in just four months.  Community support has made it possible for the Y and the Salvation Army to improve their facilities to better serve our people.  That's  certainly something to be proud of.


Just behind the Salvation Army you can see what will soon be the city's dog park. It looks like it's going to be a wonderful site.  Not a dog owner myself, but I know that our son's family in Columbus takes their two dogs to a dog park quite often.   I don't have any numbers, but it appears that many people currently take dogs out to the old airport property on N. Crownhill to run and play.  That option won't be there anymore, once The University of Akron Wayne College puts in the new road.  

Anyhow, the best way to share what I know about the dog park (and to answer the most frequently asked questions) is to quote from Councilman Paul Vance's Facebook page:

Paul explained: 

--The money comes from a NatureWorks grant and can only be used for outdoor recreational activities. We also fixed up the basketball courts with this grant a couple of years ago.
--It's a competitive process. This money was going to be spent somewhere in the state on similar kinds of projects. They liked ours over others.
--It's a misdemeanor to not pick up after your dog.
--We already pay someone to mow the area.
--This is nothing compared to the money the EPA makes us spend on things that don't help anybody.
--Having a place to take your dog and meet up with other dog owners makes life a little more bearable.

Thank you, Councilman Vance.

Last but certainly not least is the mega dirt piles, assortment of construction vehicles, stacks of tubing and-everything-else-you-might-expect happening at Orrville High School.  We'll be watching this one for the next year and a half, and it's a thrill all the way.  Talk about thriving!  Orrville City Schools has been a shining star example of how to head straight down the progress road.

These project are all more than bricks and mortar.  They represent success, growth, vision, and perhaps most of all hard work on the part of the people of our community.  What better way to demonstrate what we mean by "Where Progress and Tradition Meet"?