It is clear that Uptowne Galion is at a crossroads, and we as a community face a choice: Do we want to encourage meaningful investment in the area where the city has already made its greatest commitment to infrastructure? Or do we allow that opportunity to pass us by?
Thankfully, Galion has a brand-new local downtown/Main Street-style program ready to take on revitalization, and to work with building owners, business owners, local government, and all parties needed to bring about economic development. This seems a critical time to keep financial tools alive and, in fact, to bring in new ones to benefit this effort.
It seems to us that we need to support the long-term preservation and use of landmarks like the Galion Public Library, the Galion Theatre, and the many historic structures that give Uptowne its identity and marketing potential; we should not risk losing the character and assets that set Galion apart when those resources reach the point when they need substantial renovation funding that requires this kind of access. We also cannot go another decade without addressing Uptowne sidewalks and without aggressive investment recruitment efforts.
Over the last decade, the Galion Design Review Board has worked with dozens of property owners, and has approved over 98% of the applications received. This has been achieved despite a lack of resources and administration support which has left the Board without the resources and training that the boards in other communities enjoy.
Case in point – as this link shows, the same entity in the city of Delaware, the local Historic Preservation Commission, receives staff reports before each meeting, including a review of how the proposal meets that city’s guidelines. The entire process is well thought out and professional.
It might be valuable to listen to others who have faced similar questions. Communities across Ohio and beyond have walked this path, made their choices, and seen the results — both the triumphs and the lessons learned.
So today, we share just a few of their voices. As we have previously stated, over 100 Ohio cities and towns have design review in place, so dozens more could be shared. Through the information below, we invite you to reflect on what is possible when a community chooses to invest in its past to build its future. These are in no particular order.
Heritage Ohio and the Ohio Main Street Program Revitalization Statistics:
In Ohio downtowns:
- Total private investment — $1.86 billion
- Total public investment — $390 million
- Net new businesses — 1,656
- New new jobs — 6,151 full time and 5,888 part-time
- Reinvestment ratio (return on downtown dollar investment) — $27 to $
- Volunteer hours donated — Over 1 million
City of Shelby Historic Preservation Commission
Announcements/news from the Shelby HPC
Shelby Historic Preservation Commission aims to support building owners – Richland Source, March 29, 2025
City of Bowling Green website
“Why is Historic Preservation Important to our community? Historic Preservation reinforces community identity, protects property values, shows commitment to safeguarding our collective history, promotes economic development and energy conservation. Historic Preservation tells the stories of our past and helps protect the characteristics of Bowling Green which make it unique.
City of Piqua
Piqua Recognized for Historic Preservation Efforts – “The goal of having the designation of City of Piqua as a CLG is to provide additional opportunities for developers to restore buildings in downtown Piqua,” said Piqua City Manager Paul Oberdorfer. “We are hopeful to see projects utilize State Historic Tax Credits and other financial tools to protect and revitalize our beautiful historic structures.”
Sample Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Project:
Income producing properties in Uptowne Galion’s Design Review District are eligible to apply for this refundable tax credit, which can be combined with other financial incentives.
59 ½ West Main (Wilmington, Clinton County)
Total Project Cost: $65,000 – Total Tax Credit: $13,825
Known today as the Horace Gallup Building, 59 1/2 West Main is a two-story commercial building at the center of downtown Wilmington. The structure was completed in 1876 and still maintains commercial use on the first floor. The rehabilitation project will convert the building’s second floor into a one-family, loft-style apartment. Note that this credit can be combined with other credits to provide even more cost savings totaling as much as half the cost of a project.
From Revitalize or Die, a leading national blog on downtown and community revitalization:
“Historic downtowns are the single largest investment most cities will ever make. They are a reflection of the community as a whole and the center of commerce. Preservation isn’t just about saving our buildings, its about saving our cities and in turn, it’s about saving ourselves.”
