Today, we step back to consider the bigger picture, looking beyond Galion to a broader context.

The central business districts in Ohio’s small and mid-sized cities, much like those across the Midwest, did not decline overnight. Instead, the process of disinvestment unfolded over many decades. In response to this trend, a national initiative was launched in the 1980s to identify best practices for revitalizing these once-thriving areas. From that effort, the National Main Street Program was born and is now known as Main Street America..

Since its creation, Main Street America has consistently demonstrated itself to be the most effective tool for downtown renewal nationwide. Cities that have embraced this model, or similar approaches like Strong Towns and others, have seen remarkable success in bringing life back to their downtowns.

The foundation of this program is simple but powerful: communities achieve the best results when they build on the strengths and assets they already have. Because this principle is so effective, it has been woven into the framework of grantmaking and economic development at both the federal and state levels, including here in Ohio.

In the Galion area, cities that are serious about long-term growth have adopted these strategies. A growing number of local communities have implemented programs modeled after the Main Street approach, and the results are increasingly visible.

When it comes to financial incentives for downtown building owners in Ohio, two key designations carry the most weight. A city must either operate as a Certified Local Government or have a locally designated historic or design review area. In addition, the downtown must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places for another set of benefits. These include citywide and individual building grants and tax credits from public and private sources, as well as heightened eligibility for competitive funding.

Here is a snapshot of where cities in Crawford County and the surrounding area currently stand in this regard:

Cities with both designations:
Mansfield, Shelby, Upper Sandusky, Tiffin, Mount Vernon, Ashland, Delaware

Cities with one of the two designations:
Norwalk, Bucyrus, Galion

Notably, there are no cities in this regional group that have neither program. For Galion, the design review program is the only tool currently in place that connects the city to these powerful financial resources. It currently serves as Galion’s single point of access to the kinds of state and federal funding that have fueled revitalization efforts in neighboring communities.

We will share the final post in this series on Sunday.