Updated Project Components
This project is a grand vision to visually and economically transform the City of Chillicothe, Ross County, and the entire region by transforming the City of Chillicothe’s “central park,” Yoctangee Park. These improvements are intended to enhance Ross County’s status as a global destination for historical and cultural tourism by continuing to advance the vibrancy of Chillicothe’s downtown core.
Background
Located inside Downtown Chillicothe and having been a park space for over 150 years, Yoctangee Park is quite literally the center of community life in the City. Tens of thousands of residents and visitors each year enjoy the park’s numerous amenities. However, as in many similar City “central parks” of this size and scale, several existing amenities are in need of a refresh for the modern era and new offerings are needed for the park to fulfill its full potential. In 2022, the City underwent a year-long planning process involving hundreds of residents, stakeholders, and community leaders to develop the City’s first comprehensive plan since 1948, as well as set a roadmap for how the City should respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
That comprehensive plan, Choose Chillicothe, identified the transformation of Yoctangee Park as far and away the most desired improvement residents and businesses wished to see for the City. In addition, the comprehensive plan also set out a vision for the city to create the “Riverside District” out of several parcels of City-owned land immediately east of Yoctangee Park to attract a modern multi-story mixed use development to Chillicothe. Furthermore, the September 18th, 2023 inscription of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a UNESCO World Heritage Site will bring the world to Ross County’s doorstep. With a 75% to 100% increase in the number of new visitors that is projected to occur following this designation over the next 3 years, upgrading the City’s core downtown assets to serve these visitors while ensuring residents continue to enjoy a high quality of life is the highest priority of both the City and County.
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Phases
Updates Coming Soon to Yoctangee Park
On May 1, 2024, the Governor’s Office awarded $35 million to Chillicothe for transformative upgrades to Yoctangee Park; a once-in-a-generation investment for a historic asset and community icon.
Thanks to the community-driven Choose Chillicothe Comprehensive Plan, adopted in early 2023, the city was uniquely positioned to meet the grant’s rigorous criteria. This visionary plan helped Chillicothe stand out statewide, unlocking funding for priority projects identified by the public.
Improvements
This project will fulfill the vision of the Choose Chillicothe Comprehensive Plan and the 1993 Parks Master Plan by making improvements to Yoctangee Park. This includes its interior roadway network, pedestrian circulation paths, and parking locations, to accommodate new and improved outdoor recreation assets that were identified as community priorities in Choose Chillicothe. These new outdoor amenities include:
- Outdoor Amphitheater
- Multi-Use Pavilion for Farmer's Market
- Pickleball Courts
- New Skatepark
- Renovated Armory
- New Diamond One baseball field
Important updates and improvements will also be made to infrastructure such as lighting, utilities, and drainage. In addition to these park improvements will be a new Chillicothe and Ross County Visitor Center located at 89 Riverside Street. This component is funded by the State through a one-time Strategic Community Investment Fund.
Roadway Improvements
Roadway upgrades both in and around the park will help organize traffic flow, regulate speed, and keep pedestrians safe while traveling downtown and throughout the park.
Surrounding the Park
Water Street
- Road diet: paving and restriping to one-lane traffic in both directions with a dedicated center turn lane and added angle parking
Mulberry Street
- Full-depth repairs and installation of new sidewalks
Riverside and Mulberry Street Intersection
- Redesigned to enhance pedestrian safety and traffic flow
Yoctangee Parkway
- Four-lane road will become three lanes: one in each direction plus a middle turn lane
- Addition of a dedicated bike lane
Yoctangee and Mill Street Intersection
- Conversion into a roundabout to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow
Within the Park
Enderlin Circle
- Conversion to two-way traffic with added parking, sidewalks, and lighting
Tritschiller Road
- Partial road removal to improve internal circulation
Improvements Timeline
Phase I of construction kicked off with the surrounding roadway work. Construction Manager, Ruscilli Construction, is responsible for organizing all project bidding and subcontracting. Road construction began in mid-September and continues through completion projected for Fall 2026. Construction updates will be provided through Ruscilli Construction and the city.
Stay tuned as the city shares updates, including additional renderings and details, highlighting different components of the overall project.
