“You get a little bit of rural, with a little bit of city here in Ontario.”
Ontario is a city that has the convenience of restaurants and shopping centers, but also has a sense of a strong, thriving community.
Mayor Larry Collins has been a resident of Ontario since 1975 and believes the location is ideal. He took office in January 2010 and has high hopes for the city.
Toward that end, Collins sees Ontario as ripe for economic development. There are several new businesses making their way to the city. Cole, Tool, & Die will be arriving and Spitzer Kia Dodge will be expanding a second building to Ontario.
Collins stated, “Growth is happening with businesses gradually. We have the water and sewer capacity to handle new business coming into the area.” Ontario is in a prime location for new businesses because it is in between the metropolitan areas of Cleveland and Columbus. Airports are all within a reasonable distance, which makes transporting goods easier.
New businesses are important but Collins wanted to make sure that existing businesses are still maintaining growth and development. He said, “The new businesses can add to the growth of the city, but we want to make sure that we are still supporting the businesses that have remained here throughout time.”
With developments in the city, challenges arise. Collins wants to meet these challenges head on. He said, “The infrastructure of the city needs some repairs. Water and sewer lines need to be replaced and this takes time and money.”
Ontario may be home to over 6,200 residents, but they’re not the only people that the community serves. There are about 50-100,000 people traveling through Ontario every day. During the holiday months, that number increases dramatically. Collins said, “The traffic lights were installed on Lexington-Springmill to ease the traffic flow and help make transportation a little easier.” Schools were hit hard as well, but progress is being made. The city has been able to apply for grants to help with infrastructure costs and workers in the city have stepped up to the plate.
Collins also notes that a new pavilion is being built at Marshall Park. the pavilion will facilitate concerts in the park, holding between 300-500 spectators. Concerts run from July to August.
The parks are popular to many members in the community. Walking, running, rollerblading, and people walking their dogs occur often in the community. Richland County Development Group donated $7,000 to the bandshell project in Marshall Park and $5,000 for a monument on Lincoln Highway. Mayor Collins said, “Everyone in the area is trying to promote Richland County.”
The city holds the popular Ontario Fourth of July Festival each year.
This year it will be held July 3 – July 4, with fireworks on the July 4. “Parking can get tight, so we want to make sure that we have provided all needs that will make it easier on them.”, said Collins. The money that is raised for the festival is all volunteer driven. And shows just how much Ontario can join together.