2025 State of the Village
The State of the Village of Newcomerstown is good and improving. 2024 was a very good year, probably the best year in all of our departments for their accomplishments and the planning for the future. A large step forward in housing, industry, and Main Street will be initiated in 2025. The planning, grants, construction, and the painting will all begin this year for Main Street. Unfortunately, with all the construction, the mess comes first. Paint for the building will begin on the Southside of the street. In mid to late August, Columbia Gas will begin to remove the sidewalks to lay a new natural gas line on the southside of the street. All water laterals will be inspected and replaced if needed. Sidewalks will be poured in 2026 with the TAP grant from ODOT. Bases for new lampposts will be created so electricity can be run underground, and overhead wires will be removed.
In 2024 we welcomed Vienna Beef/Chipico Pickles to our industrial park and our community. We have been blessed with a company that has embraced us with their support.
Another company is constructing a 120,000 square foot building hoping to open later this summer. Altor Solutions, the former Plymouth Foam, purchased land at the end of Enterprise Drive. We welcome them back to Newcomerstown. These two companies represent 80 new jobs. The Newcomerstown Community Improvement Corporation is currently working with several other possible companies to buy and build in our industrial park.
This brings us to the next important action happening in and around us: housing. Last year a Coshocton developer purchased 100 acres a mile outside of Newcomerstown for the purpose of building new homes. New homes are needed to attract new companies to our area. We want their employees to look to Newcomerstown for a place to live first, no matter where they work.
The Village owns the 16 acres of the former Simonds Industries. The plant, buildings and concrete have been removed, the areas have been tested and the problem areas are identified. The EPA has permitted the Village to contact developers to create layouts for housing in the form of nice senior citizen housing, an apartment building and a series of condos/townhouses on the southside facing the park and river. Another piece of land is being inspected for the possibility of bigger homes within our corporation.
These 3 areas (Main Street, Industry, and Housing) represent an important increase in the amount of improvement that has taken place this past year. It is a
new beginning for our town. This is only a part of the good things happening in Newcomerstown.
With the work Newcomerstown NOW has done, the village looks better. The beautiful flower arrangements brighten up the downtown with colors not seen in a while. The businesses support for the banners and projects of the NOW group, has really made a difference. The military banners have brought out more pride in our families and our military. Newcomerstown NOW plans to expand the flower program and has already received more requests for military banners.
The NOW organization is run by volunteers that live inside and outside of Newcomerstown. New volunteers that want to see Newcomerstown get better are always welcome. The group’s goal is to revitalize the downtown and make improvements within our community.
The best improvements have been where more residents are taking care of their properties. We still have some eyesores that need to be removed but we are working with residents on it. Visitors who come to our village notice the improvements. We are attracting more visitors through the events the local organizations are presenting. The Civic Center is open for business and reservations. Bringing bingo back is still a possibility and is being worked on. Main Street is getting a facelift over the next two years. Interest has grown in the empty buildings we have downtown.
Newcomerstown has come so far in the past nine years, and we are right near the top of the hill to get to the next level. The next two years will make a difference.
Newcomerstown is very fortunate to have a great council that is made up of six citizens who care about this village and its growth. I look at each of them as a partner, a key piece to taking care of the village. This village has heads of departments who all work above and beyond the expectations of their positions in hours and in planning for the community’s future. In 2024, 200 goals were set to be accomplished, 158 of those goals were accomplished. All of these goals were accomplished in order to help our community be better. A list of all those accomplishments are available to the public upon request. We are fortunate to have good leaders who are building a program to improve each of their departments. I am proud of each and the difference they make each day and each year. They are my teammates that help set the positive direction Newcomerstown is heading. We have a great town of people.
Council, department heads, employees and most of all, the residents of our community are our pillar of strength. The residents have bought into what we have been working for, and more and more are stepping up to help us.
So as we begin 2025, and we see what is coming, remember all big plans come with a mess first. Painting the downtown will slow businesses down. Tearing up the sidewalks for 6-8 months will be an inconvenience. Putting up with the mess will be irritating; but we must envision the end product; a better-looking downtown that will attract new businesses and help anchor the businesses already there.
So as the State of the Village is still improving, 2025 will be another important year for all of us to keep achieving the goals we set, but also keep the final product of those goals in the light of the future we are working toward.
