Special Section: Hometown Story

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Hometown Story

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10 Things to Know About Our Town

SEPTEMBER 2018 Columbus Monthly

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Things to t Know Abou n our Tow

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Buckeye Lake is a man-made body of water. Constructed in 1830 as a reservoir to supply water to the Ohio & Erie Canal, it was officially abandoned by the Ohio General Assembly in 1894. Its second life began in the early 1900s as a popular tourist attraction, eventually anchored by the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park. Through the 1950s, the biggest names in popular music played at the ballrooms of Buckeye Lake, sometimes drawing as many as 50,000 guests in a weekend. By the late 1960s, the amusement park was in disrepair.

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The dam construction project will be completed before spring 2019. Once completed, the water level will be allowed to rise, the lake will be better for boating and more channels will be navigable again.

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Beginning in 2019, Buckeye Lake will feature a 4-mile paved and level waterfront walking and biking trail. This will be atop the dam, running from the North Shore Park in the village of Buckeye Lake to Liebs Island.

Buckeye Lake is only 30 minutes east of Columbus via I-70. Unlike most

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Come to the lake; you may have so much fun that you never want to leave!

lakes, Buckeye Lake is easily accessible with freeway exits at the west, middle and east sides of the lake.

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It’s the place to be in the winter, too, thanks to ice fishing, snowmobiling and Winterfest. Benny the Bass is our own prognosticator of spring, and Winterfest is a region-wide celebration taking place the last weekend of January. Find details on Facebook.

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Buckeye Lake is recognized as a great fishing lake. The lake is stocked with saugeye, and there are plenty of bass (and bass tournaments), catfish and panfish.

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The area is a live music mecca, teeming with lively venues; nearly all feature live entertainment several times each week. If you love the night life (or even the afternoon life) there is always more to do than time to do it.

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Unlike most lakes, Buckeye Lake has plenty of great dining and entertainment options right on the water at its waterfront restaurant marinas. Come by boat, car or motorcycle.

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Buckeye Lake is an unlimited horsepower boating lake that also welcomes sailboats; the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club hosts sailboat races throughout the season.

There are many canals, inlets and channels to explore in canoes and kayaks. Two sandbars offer the opportunity to swim from your boat, and there are several state-operated boat ramps with more planned. Plan your visit to the lake by first visiting such websites as buckeyelakeregioncc.com, buckeyelake2030.org, explorebuckeyelake. com or buckeyelakecivicassociation.org.

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Buckeye Lake is home to the Queen of the Lake III. Buckeye Lake has a long history of excursion boats, and the latest is an 88-foot-long paddle wheeler, operated by the Buckeye Lake Historical Society and scheduled to begin passenger service in 2019. It will run regular tour cruises and be available by reservation for special events. The Historical Society also operates a great local history museum in the Village of Buckeye Lake. For more information, visit buckeyelakehistory.org.

photos: courtesy buckeye lake

Buckeye Lake

MEET YOUR BUCKEYE LAKE SPECIALIST! WANT KNOWLEDGE? • Fulltime Buckeye Lake resident • Real estate broker/owner since 2007. I have 25+ agents and am the broker of record for over 2000 transactions to date!

• Proud Alumni of THE Ohio State University

WANT DETAILS? • General info: I can email you PDF files of the amazing plans for Buckeye Lake. Just send me a request at dturlo@HomeCentralRealty.com.

• Buyers: I know of “off market” homes that the owners are willing to sell.

• Sellers: Live on the Dam? I will calculate the amount of state funds spent on your specific lake frontage to add value to your home.

I KNOW THE DAM MATH! Special offer for buyers who need to sell: I will list your home at a reduced commission of 5% when you buy and sell with me!

• The Buckeye Lake dam reconstruction is a $110,000,000 state-funded project with the goal to make Buckeye Lake “The Showplace of Ohio State Parks!” I can tell you exactly how much the state spent per lot!

Great info to know if you are buying or selling on the dam.

• I live on the dam on N Bank Rd and I am your DAM HOME SPECIALIST!

BUYERS: Contact me for a personalized Buckeye Lake area property search.

SELLERS: Contact me for a market analysis to determine an asking price.

START HERE: DOUG TURLO - YOUR DAM HOME SPECIALIST!

Doug Turlo, Broker/Owner Home Central Realty

614-419-2077 Call or text Email me at: dturlo@HomeCentralRealty.com HomeCentralRealty.com • DougTheRealtor.com

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Things to t Know Abou n our Tow

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Groveport’s past, present and future intertwine with shipping, transportation, industry and agriculture. The Ohio and Erie Canal made the town a port and put it on the path to prosperity. Groveport started as a single entity in 1847, when the neighboring rival towns of Wert’s Grove and Rarey’s Port merged. Groveport was home to John Rarey, the original horse whisperer, known for his horse training techniques and taming a fiercely wild horse named Cruiser.

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Groveport has several family-oriented festivals and events. The Groveport Farmer’s Market takes place every Tuesday from May to September. The 4th of July Celebration features a parade, entertainment, food, children’s activities and fireworks.

KidsFest, in August, offers children’s activities and the always-popular Touch-a-Truck. On the second Saturday in October, enjoy fresh apple butter, along with homemade food and artisan wares, at Apple Butter Day. Santa and Mrs. Claus host A Heritage Holiday on the first Friday in December. This two-day event includes a tree-lighting ceremony, horsedrawn wagon rides and live reindeer.

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With more than 25 million square feet of industrial space currently under roof Columbus Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018

Explore “Central Ohio’s Hometown”—a growing suburb with a rich history. throughout five industrial parks, Groveport is a distribution hub for a variety of well-known companies like Eddie Bauer, Kraft Foods, Build-A-Bear Workshops and many more.

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Recently named as having the most parkland per capita in Central Ohio, Groveport is home to nine beautiful parks. Their amenities include the historic Erie Canal’s Lock 22, numerous sports fields, lighted tennis courts, a large stocked pond and several miles of pedestrian and bicycle paths.

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Groveport’s Recreation Center is a 67,000-square-foot facility offering stateof-the-art equipment, fitness classes, an indoor climbing wall, a heated indoor pool, an indoor track, indoor basketball courts, outdoor paved leisure paths and the Groveport Senior Center. Next door is the Groveport Aquatics Center, one of the top outdoor community water parks in Central Ohio.

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Motts Military Museum was founded in 1987 by Warren E. Motts of Groveport, who established the museum as a nonprofit educational organization.

The museum showcases military vehicles, aircrafts, a Higgins Boat from World War II and many artifacts.

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The Links at Groveport is an 18-hole, par-72 course, owned and operated by the City of Groveport. Located in the clubhouse, the Paddock Pub & Links Event Center offers casual dining and a banquet room that accommodates groups up to 250 for weddings, corporate meetings, special events and golf outings.

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Groveport’s Main Street business district offers prime sites for commercial and retail development. Opportunities abound for restaurants, retail shops and offices.

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Groveport’s Community Affairs Department offers programs for all ages at Town Hall and Crooked Alley KidSpace. Featured at Town Hall is a variety of art and the Heritage Museum, showcasing Groveport’s history.

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Le’Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers got his start as part of the Cruiser family at Groveport Madison High School. Bell returns to Groveport annually to put on a youth football camp. The field at Cruiser Stadium was recently named Le’Veon Bell Field after Bell’s generous artificial turf donation to Groveport’s new high school.

photos: courtesy groveport

Groveport

Groveport: Central Ohio’s Hometown...

…for families!

…for large businesses…

…and small!

More parks per capita than any community in central Ohio, a 67,000 square foot recreation center, a 450,000 gallon outdoor aquatic park and an 18-hole municipal golf course all provide Groveport residents with a quality of life unparalleled by other communities our size.

With five bustling industrial parks located near Rickenbacker International Airport and major highways, Groveport is a distribution hub for companies like Eddie Bauer, Kraft Foods, Build-A-Bear Workshops, Kubota Tractor and many more! Modern, state-of-the-art space is available at competitive rates with generous local incentives available!

Prime spaces are available in Groveport’s historic downtown for restaurants, retail establishments and offices. Take advantage of great visibility, a high volume of traffic and close proximity to a large workforce in nearby industrial parks!

For more information 655 Blacklick St. • Groveport, OH 43125 (614) 836-5301

www.groveport.org

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Things to t Know Abou n our Tow

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New Albany is a friendly place, built on the strongest traditions of small-town America, that embraces a strategic approach to land use and a high quality of life based on our founding pillars of lifelong learning, culture, health and the environment.

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Our nationally ranked New Albany-Plain Local School District is located on one 200-acre campus surrounded by the Swickard Woods wetlands preservation, which intertwines our environmental and educational commitments.

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Our pedestrian-friendly Village Center, the town’s centralized gathering spot, includes restaurants, coffee houses, boutique shops, a summer farmers market, the library, the New Albany-Plain Local school learning campus, the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany and diverse housing that includes luxury apartments designed for millennials and empty nesters.

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In their own words, residents praise New Albany as safe, beautiful, convenient and well-maintained with a small-

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See why Business Insider named us the No. 1 suburb in America.

town feel, strong sense of community, quality schools, friendly people and lots of trails for walking and running.

business in China have attracted more than 1,500 visitors.

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We are an active community with lots of land for recreational pursuits. Counting Rocky Fork Metro Park, nearly 20 percent of New Albany’s land use is devoted to parkland and open space, and nearly every neighborhood is within 1/4 mile of a park.

The New Albany International Business Park is the largest master planned commercial park in the region, with four highway interchanges, 15,000 employees, more than 11 million square feet of space and $3.4 billion in private investment.

Income taxes from jobs in the business park help support municipal services while also providing more than $68 million to the New Albany-Plain Local Schools since 1998.

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Innovate New Albany, our technology incubator for startups, has lived up to its name by continuously evolving the services and resources it provides to entrepreneurial enterprises. Innovate’s TIGER Talks and Workshops on everything from trademark protection and patents to doing

The New Albany Community Foundation’s Jefferson Series is one of the best lecture series in the United States. Its 2018 season includes some of the nation’s most renowned speakers in the fields of medicine, national security and mental health.

New Albany plays host to some of Central Ohio’s best events, including Pelotonia, the Project Hero Honor Ride Ohio cycling event on Memorial Day benefitting our veterans, the A&F Challenge at Abercrombie & Fitch’s corporate headquarters, and the New Albany Walking Classic, the largest walking race in America.

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New Albany staff is committed to a high level of professionalism and customer service, and it shows: 96 percent of residents are satisfied with police services, 95 percent are satisfied with snow removal on main roads, 95 percent are satisfied with trash, recycling and yard waste collection, and 90 percent are satisfied with management of architectural standards.

photos: courtesy new albany

New Albany

COMMUNITY. WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, GREAT THINGS HAPPEN.

As partners in a master-planned community, New Albany collaborates with our residents and businesses to create a shared vision for the future that brings people together to do more than just live or work. It’s a friendly, inclusive community that makes you feel at home, encourages a healthy, active lifestyle, nurtures the creative spirit, invests in lifelong learning, supports business and protects the environment for future generations.

It’s more than a place, it’s a way of life.

newalbanyohio.org

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Things to t Know Abou n our Tow

Experience what Obetz has to offer.

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Obetz is a safe, quiet community of approximately 4,967 residents with a population that swells to more than 20,000 daily because of the more than 350 businesses that call the city home.

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Obetz—on I-270 and next to the Rickenbacker International Airport—is a prime location for e-commerce and manufacturing facilities. Some of our Fortune 500 resident companies include Amazon, Cardinal Health, Federal Express, United Parcel Services, AmerisourceBergen and Avnet.

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Recently, Obetz has invested more than $25 million dollars in parks and recreational facilities. In 2019, Obetz will add another $15 million dollars in amenities to improve our quality of life.

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With many vibrant neighborhoods, Obetz’s housing market is one of the hottest in Central Ohio. Buyers can build new or invest in a historic home. Sales prices for homes are up 15 percent from last year.

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You can “Play Obetz” at one of our many events, including the Famous Fortress Fireworks, Halloween Haunt-

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ed Trail, Christmas Kick-Off or the Zucchinifest. Averaging 250,000 visitors, the Zucchinifest is one of the largest festivals in Ohio. Held Labor Day weekend, Zucchinifest features national and local entertainment, rides, arts and crafts vendors, and lots of zucchini-inspired food.

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With more than 300 acres of parkland in 10 municipal parks, there is something for everyone. Play a round of disc golf at Area 51, connect with nature on a hike at Braehead Nature Preserve, get wet at the Splash Pad located in Lancaster Park, ice skate at the outdoor ice rink, or sharpen your archery skills at the Dixon Quarry archery range.

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Obetz offers many facilities for weddings and other gatherings. The Dixon Quarry Pavilion is a rustic building overlooking a 6-acre lake; Stewart Hall, located in the Obetz Community Center, is a modern facility that can accommodate up to 200 people; and coming soon, Fortress Obetz will begin offering limited rentals.

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Fortress Obetz, Central Ohio’s newest sports and entertainment venue, was built in 2017 using 122 shipping

containers. It is the largest shipping container structure in the United States and the Modular Building Institute’s National Project of the Year. Major League Lacrosse’s Ohio Machine calls the stadium home. Other notable 2018 events at Fortress Obetz include the Red and White High School Football All-Star Game, OHSAA Regional and Championship games, Shootout for Soldiers and USA Rugby Semi-Finals.

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The Hamilton Local School District is one of the top school districts in Franklin County and is a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School. The Groveport Madison Local School District has invested millions of dollars in new infrastructure and is opening a new high school this year.

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With the recent addition of an OhioHealth medical facility, the Alum Creek Drive corridor is positioned for retail growth. Approximately 400,000 square feet of new retail and office space is planned to add additional shopping opportunities to our fast-growing town.

Whether it is for a game, a walk or just to enjoy the outdoors, stop by and visit us here in Obetz.

photos: courtesy obetz

Obetz

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A Rich History – As we celebrate our 100th year in 2018, Northam Park is now home to a Centennial History Walk, highlighting our community’s storied evolution through imagery, little-known facts and defining moments along the way.

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The Lure of the First-Ring Suburb – As Central Ohio continues to grow, UA’s convenient location, an educated workforce, a wealth of housing opportunities and a reputation as a safe place to call home appeals to businesses large and small.

In turn, residents are afforded convenient access to a range of amenities and services to meet their daily needs.

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We Love Our Trees – The moment you cross into UA, you are welcomed by a mature canopy of street trees.

The further you go, the more impressive it becomes—from our picturesque parks to our cherished neighborhoods, the beauty of our natural environment must be seen to be believed.

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The Dining is Divine – Upper Arlington is home to a range of restaurants to satisfy any appetite and price point.

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Ten Reasons to Visit UA; Ten Reasons to Stay

From one-of-a-kind community gems to regional favorites, you can enjoy a variety of cuisines and dining experiences.

of three bronze bear sculptures, with a community gathering space and opportunity for reflection and celebration.

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Planning for a New Century – We may be 100 years old, but UA’s future is golden, with record levels of reinvestment in our public facilities, commercial districts and neighborhoods. From our first “complete street” on Tremont Road to the exciting evolution taking place on Lane Avenue, UA is ready for its next century.

Shop the Suburbs – Why head to a regional mall when the Shops on Lane Avenue and our other retail districts have what you need right here on your doorstep? From unique clothing boutiques to various health and hobby options, avoid the traffic and enjoy the personal touch.

Arts and Culture – The arts are alive in UA. Our Concourse Gallery showcases local and regional artists, a summer concert series presents a mix of musical styles, and our Labor Day Arts Festival celebrates the arts in all its iterations. New in 2018, the Centennial Plaza at Northam Park combines art in the form

Enriched Educational Opportunities – If raising a family is in your future, look no further than UA for its exceptional schools and supportive community, as the Upper Arlington Schools readies to rebuild and renovate its facilities to be ready for the 21st century.

Community Celebrations – The “Golden Bears” are out in force each Fourth of July with an annual parade and evening family gathering—featuring live music and fireworks—that captures Upper Arlington’s unique community spirit.

UA is also home to a rich calendar of community celebrations and seasonal, familyfriendly events.

Recreational Abundance – Parks, greenspace and our public amenities are an integral part of the fabric of UA. From natural-themed playgrounds to rental facilities, combined with programming for all ages, there’s always something to do in UA.

photos: courtesy upper arlington

Upper Arlington

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Things to t Know Abou n our Tow

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Live Here: Whitehall is a diverse and vibrant community of thriving neighborhoods. Housing values are significantly rising, increasing by 29.2 percent between 2012 and 2016. Whitehall offers the “My Home” down payment assistance program for home buyers and the “Home Reinvestment Program” to assist with exterior improvement projects.

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Thrive Here: Norton Crossing is the most significant redevelopment in Whitehall’s history. Located at the gateway to Whitehall—the intersection of Broad Street and Hamilton Road—the $50 million mixed-use development will include residential, office, restaurant and retail anchored by a public park. Coming next year, the 25-acre Norton Crossing will welcome everyone from young professionals to empty nesters seeking a maintenance-free, walkable lifestyle.

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Work Here: More than 1,500 jobs and $50 million in new payroll have been created or committed in Whitehall since January 2012. Over $60 million dollars per square mile of public/private investment has been made or proposed since 2010.

Two of the top five largest family-owned companies in Central Ohio—The Wasserstrom Co. and Byers Automotive Group—are

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Opportunity is here. based in Whitehall. Whitehall is home to 650 large and small businesses, including Priority Designs, Alliance Data and the new corporate headquarters for Heartland Bank.

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Explore Here: Whitehall added 20 acres of new park land in 2017 and recently began nearly $1.5 million dollars of improvements to Whitehall Community Park, expanding it to a nearly 85-acre nature park. The plan includes walking trails, a new canoe/kayak launch site at Big Walnut Creek, a 3-acre pond and more. Coming in 2019, a new, 24,000-square-foot Community Park YMCA will feature recreational and educational programming for all ages.

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Play Here: In 2017, Whitehall opened the Splashpad at John Bishop Park, recognized by the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association as a top-three new park improvement project in the state of Ohio.

Whitehall also invested nearly $1 million into new and inclusive playground equipment in all five of their parks this year.

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Read Here: The Columbus Metropolitan Library – Whitehall Branch is a new library on Broad Street that was recognized nationally by The American Institute of Architects. The library features

Ready for Kindergarten programs, Reading Buddies, Third Grade Reading Support and Homework Help.

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Eat Here: From King Gyros Greek Restaurant to Flavor 91, there is something for every taste in Whitehall. Looking to grab a local brew? Check out 2 Tones Brewing, featuring a new taproom next year.

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Learn Here: Whitehall City Schools constructed five new schools within the past 10 years. The city is seeing an influx of new families coming to the district, with a growth of 24 percent.

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Celebrate Here: A beloved summer tradition drawing 20,000 attendees is the Whitehall Food Truck and Fun Fest, featuring 35 food trucks and national recording artists. Whitehall also features Music in the Park and a spectacular Fourth of July celebration.

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Relocate Here: The City of Whitehall is conveniently located in eastern Franklin County just minutes from the John Glenn Columbus International Airport, I-270, I-670 and Downtown Columbus. Its location makes Whitehall a perfect place to live, work and play in Central Ohio.

photos: courtesy whitehall

Whitehall

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