Go Ottawa
Strategic Growth & Revitalization Plan
The Village of Ottawa, Ohio, engaged Yard & Company to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for its future growth, centered on the revitalization of a vibrant and walkable downtown core. Over an 8-month engagement, Yard & Company collaborated with a newly established resident and business-led Task Force to achieve the following objectives: 1) conduct extensive stakeholder engagement to establish a clear vision for Ottawa’s growth; 2) identify and prioritize opportunities for attracting hospitality, street-level retail, and housing to the Downtown and surrounding areas; 3) enhance the walkability of downtown streets and public spaces while strengthening connections to the Blanchard River, the High School, and adjacent neighborhoods; 4) develop and activate a new brand identity for Ottawa, reflecting its authentic village experience; 5) create and implement an expanded event calendar and storytelling platform; and 6) establish a dedicated organization to oversee and drive the vitality of Downtown Ottawa.
Services
Planning
Urban Design
Development Strategies
Place Branding
Activation, Experience
Operations
Timeframe
2022
Client
Village of Ottawa, OH
Location
Ottawa, OH
Familiar Challenges for Small Town America
In recent decades, Ottawa has faced and overcome some significant challenges including the departure of historically reliable jobs and a major flood that heavily impacted the Main Street area. Despite significant investments to sure up the Blanchard River and mitigate future flood risk, Downtown has continued to be perceived as a high-risk investment area, leaving architecturally rich historic structures vacant. The Main Street district contains a handful of great businesses and recently had a new public park built which hosts weekly events. This, paired with ongoing quality of life investments, including schools, a community center, a technology training facility, and small business support, Ottawa has maintained a healthy level of competitiveness. The community’s long-standing, multi-generational population who care deeply about the future vibrancy of Ottawa is additionally key to setting Ottawa on a path of community-oriented growth.
Downtown Flood: 2007
Ottawa Town Hall
Staff Leaving Philips Upon Closure
Partially Vacant Main Street Building
Action-Oriented Planning
A multi-faceted community engagement process, supported by an active group of project Task Force members, was critical to gathering insights into existing conditions, challenges, and opportunities. Priority areas for investment were identified, including enhancing public spaces, improving connectivity, attracting new businesses and activities, and fostering residential development. To test early ideas for potential projects, the Task Force led the creation of a pop-up public plaza on an underutilized Downtown side street. A successful weekend-long event held at the “End Zone” and featuring local school performances and football game viewing parties, demonstrated significant community demand for outdoor gathering and hospitality venues.
Investing in the Vision
Building on the early success of the End Zone, the area around Walnut and Main streets became a priority. Beautification and activation initiatives were identified as key ways to attract real estate investments in Downtown properties. Mid and long-term opportunities include enhanced trail and street projects, infill and master planned residential developments.
Prior to the completion of the strategic plan, "Go Ottawa" was formalized as a non-profit organization with a mission focused on Downtown, governance structure, and operational plan, and had support from the Village and County. Additionally, the Village updated its municipal brand identity to signal its commitment to the new strategic direction. The Strategic Growth Plan was presented to a variety of partners to expand the participation of the business community in the vision. Task Force members took the commitment even further by becoming property owners and converting vacated structures into new businesses including the newly opened Ottawa Brewing Company.
Project Impact
The Ottawa experience highlights the power of an action-infused planning process that effectively brings people together, reframes liabilities into opportunities, and demonstrates what is possible.