As the current year comes to a close, many Ohio communities are looking forward to launching preservation-related projects in 2007.

Leading that list are the six Ohio cities (Delphos, Marion, Vermilion, Oak Harbor, Waterville and Wellington) that were recently awarded 2006 Comprehensive Downtown Revitalization CDBG grants from the Ohio Department of Development. Included in those local projects are a combined total of 95 facade and 58 interior renovations.

In Fremont, filling key large downtown buildings in a priority for the city’s economic development office in the coming year, according to this story in the News-Messenger.

Among members of Marietta City Council expressing wishes for the coming year was Councilwoman Katie McGlynn, who listed her wish for a historic preservation ordinance for that Ohio River community according to the Marietta Times.

In Downtown Akron, 2007 will see the launch of a $15 million investment into the area of the historic Civic Theater, according to this Akron Beacon Journal story. Five adjacent buildings will be renovated, including the 1895 Whitelaw Building, which had been previously considered for demolition, with the area to include restaurants, retail and housing.

Any review of upcoming downtown projects would be incomplete without mention of the transformation of the Fort Piqua Hotel in downtown Piqua into the new home of the Flesh Public Library. The $19.6 million project was officially launched with a ceremony this month.  Read about the event in this Dayton Daily News story.

Photo: Civic Theatre, Akron - elston/Creative Commons License