Revitalization Efforts

There have been many attempts at revitializing downtown Newark in the past. Some have seen progress while others have fizzled out for one reason or another. Revitalization is not a one-time event; if done properly, it is an on-going project that takes quite a bit of time and is probably never complete. There will always be a next step, or a next phase.


Nearly eight or nine months ago another attempt was reborn. A group of dedicated individuals representing a variety of businesses, organizations and local government came together to brainstorm on what the future of downtown Newark could look like. I left that meeting with new enthusiasim. It was refreshing to see the progress a group can make when each individual contributes his or her own talents and skills instead of one person or organization trying to do it all. Take a close look at the entrance to downtown off the the 4th Street exit. The landscape has certainly changed drastically, and this is only in the tear-down stage!


Below are some photos I took while walking through some vacant second and third floor buildings in downtown. Loft living is becoming more and more popular these days. These are obviously the "before" photos. I hope to be able to someday post the "after" ones as well.





If you would like to learn more about this new effort, you can read about it in our 2008 edition of Images of Licking County magazine. Another valuable resource is Newark Alive. This site was created by Steve Herb with NAIOP Anderson Layman. He is one of the individuals I talked about above. Check it out!