small Ohio city with downtown on upswing.. (Akron, Youngstown: 2010, live)

[kyle19125]

Can anyone enlighten me on any small cities in Ohio that have downtown areas on the rise in terms of development and citizen involvement in growth initiatives? From my research I've narrowed to Canton and Akron. I am a future transplant from a large east coast city who is tired of the rat race and needs a change. I'm also a potential new small business owner (small upscale restaurant) who would want to relocate to a city where there is interest in revitalizing the downtown area, as well as a growing population of people who actually live there...not a downtown that rolls up the sidewalks at 6pm. Thanks.

[boardmanite]

You may want to look into nearby Youngstown as well. There has been a lot of interest and investment in the downtown area in the past few years. We have the new Chevrolet Centre that attracts many people to downtown, but so far there is not a lot to keep them there after the shows. There is a group of young professionals who are working hard to revitalize downtown, and the city has a plan called Youngstown 2010 which hopes to make significant improvements to the city in the next few years.

Here are some older threads that may be of interest:
Anyone interested in Youngstown's future
http://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...ns-future.html

Downtown Youngstown photo tour
http://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...hoto-tour.html

Many of Ohio's mid-sized cities are in bad shape, but accross the state there has been renewed interest in the downtown areas and I expect this to continue. I'm not gonna lie, there are some serious hurdles that Youngstown in particular has to overcome. But on the other hand, there is tremendous potential here.

[M TYPE X]

Right, and the potential has been squandered. My forecast: Canton and Youngstown no, Akron maybe.

[boardmanite]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

My forecast: Canton and Youngstown no, Akron maybe.

Yeah, out of the three, Akron has the greatest chance of a significant comeback. I keep hoping for Youngstown though...

[gabella]

If you're looking for a downtown that has potential, you're better off with Akron. I grew up in the Canton area and they've been talking about revitalizing downtown for years. Don't hold your breath on that happening any time soon. I worked in downtown Canton for years. They're more interested in investing in the suburbs.

[Durinthal]

Wooster, while small, has an entire program dedicated to keeping its downtown thriving. There's weekly events in the summer and more sporadic ones year-round.
http://mainstreetwooster.org/