MANSFIELD — Mansfield’s Community Development and Housing Director Adrian Ackerman has a vision for Glessner Avenue — one where it’s lined with trees and dotted with crosswalks. Children and families stroll down neat, level sidewalks. Maybe there are street lamps and a little park across from Sturges Avenue.
“This was an idea that was created actually several years ago within our department,” Ackerman said. “Creating a neighborhood that’s safe and secure, that feels comfortable living in, renting in, owning in, walking in, being around the hospital in a safe, secure environment was the ultimate goal.”
For the past few months, a group of city officials and community members have met to make plans for the development of the West End Neighborhood District. The district would span from Marion Avenue as to South Main Street, and from Park Avenue West to Glessner Avenue.
The advisory group behind the project was formed last fall and has raised more than $39,000 through contributions from the Richland County Land Bank, City of Mansfield and private donors. Those funds were used to commission a plan for the district from EDGE Consulting.
Tedd Hardesty of EDGE Consulting recently shared the plans for the project, with a focus on Glessner Avenue. Some of the primary goals for Glessner and its surrounding neighborhoods are to fix and repair curbs, ramps and sidewalks, update street lighting and establish tree lawns.
“I’m super excited about the view that it gives. It changes the whole aesthetic of the neighborhood with really minimal changes. In reality, it’s just making things pretty again, making the sidewalks nice and usable and creating green spaces,” Ackerman said. “Hopefully lighting ends up being a part of that and makes the neighborhood a little more safe and secure as well.”
Ackerman said her department can also use federal funds to aid property owners in the district with improvements and address code violations through the emergency repair program. Any homeowner in the City of Mansfield who meets income requirements and is current on their bills (or on an accepted payment plan) can apply for the program.
The program’s aim is to make homes decent, safe and sanitary. Funds can be used to fix a roof, furnace, water heater, electric, plumbing or other issues. Interested applicants should contact the Community Development and Housing Department at 419-755-9793.
Ackerman hopes revitalizing homes in the area and sprucing up the streets will attract even more residential developers.
“I’m hopeful in the future that we can work with agencies to develop some properties that would be specific to low and moderate income people with the vacant properties that exist,” she said.
Chuck Hahn, another member of the advisory committee, said securing funding will be the next step.
“The next step will be to come up with the funding to move the projects forward,” Hahn said. “Otherwise the plan is just another plan.”
Ackerman said the improvements will be mostly funded through the Community Development and Housing department’s federal grants.
“Obviously, we’re more than open to having additional funding from other sources if they want to be a part of it,” Ackerman added.
Todd Blankenship of the Richland County Regional Planning Commission said the RCRPC could be another source of funding, but the decision would be made by the commission’s technical advisory committee.
“It’s certainly the type of thing that we’re promoting at this point, which is safe pedestrian travel,” he said.
Blankenship stated that studies have linked safe and accessible pedestrian travel with health and economic benefits.
Many government projects have been slowed or delayed due to COVID-19’s impacts on the economy, but Ackerman is confident that the project will continue.
“It is very conceptual at this point but I’m confident in the community and the consultants and the staff that we already have working on it. We can move it forward. It’s been a slow process, but we are making leaps and strides above where we were and the intention is to not stop,” she said.
