City of Mansfield chosen for R3 program to enhance downtown
When putting together the Mansfield Rising plan in 2019, city officials identified the parking lot at Fourth and Diamond streets as the prime piece of real estate in the downtown.
“The No. 1 project by priority was redevelopment of the municipal lot,” said Jodie Perry, president/ceo of Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
Through a partnership with Bowling Green State University, city officials will work on a plan to redevelop the property.
Bowling Green launched its Reimagining Rural Regions (R3) program in 2021.
It is an economic and workforce development-centered placemaking initiative that helps communities identify, enhance and build community assets to aid in talent attraction and retention.
“As a public university for the public good, BGSU is committed to supporting the current and future growth and vitality of our rural communities that power our state,” said Rodney Rogers, Bowling Green president. “Our R3 initiative is another example of how together, we can make our region stronger and position Ohio for future success.”
Mansfield chosen for BGSU project
After a competitive application process and site visits, the Center for Regional Development at BGSU selected the village of Pauling and the city of Bowling Green, in addition to Mansfield, for the second cohort of the R3 program.
“We decided to apply specifically for this project,” Perry said. Perry consulted with Mayor Tim Theaker, Jennifer Kime from Downtown Mansfield and Allie Watson from the Richland County Foundation.
“Their (Bowling Green) whole goal is to help smaller communities with placemaking work,” Perry said. “They liked what we had.”
Perry said a possibility for the municipal lot is to add tiered parking, such as a parking garage, with retail on the first floor and residential units on the second floor.
“I’ve seen other communities our size do something like this,” she said. “Kent has done something like this. Springfield created a garage; I’m just not sure it’s multi-use.”
Perry said such a project would make a huge impact on the downtown.
“I think it has the potential to be transformational in the way the Carrousel was in the 1990s,” she said. “It would fill the gap between there and Central Park. It would make downtown more cohesive.”
Perry added the project could lead to revitalization and more residents downtown.
“That’s a big focus that we need to work on,” she said.
The collaboration with Bowling Green will be a 15- to 18-month process.
“The idea behind R3 is they will take us through a really robust public involvement process,” Perry said.
Bowling Green will work with city officials
She added Bowling Green would act as a facilitator.
Students there would provide technical assistance. Other parts of the plan will include market study research, identifying funding sources and coming up with a proposed layout.
“We need to build some consensus on what we would like to see on the site,” Perry said.
The city, which is the largest community Bowling Green has worked with so far, does not have to pay to take part in the plan. The university has gained national recognition for the R3 program.
“The economic, cultural and technological divide between larger cities and communities and rural small towns has never been greater,” said Russell Mills, senior director for the BGSU Center for Regional Development. “Through this initiative, we are able to work closely with communities to identify placemaking opportunities that will impact workforce attraction and retention in our region and state.”
As for the project itself, Perry said it would take years.
“I was interested in this program,” she said of R3. “I think it will help us go from an idea to an actual project.”
Perry added there is a lot going on downtown, so this project is not an immediate need.
“I think the timing is actually fine,” she said. “The city recently enacted more incentives to encourage development. This project will continue the momentum downtown.” mcaudill@gannett.com 419-521-7219