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Historic Property in Heart of St. Paris for Sale

5/20/2022

 
If you are looking for a place to start or grow your business, then look no further. The sky is the limit with this historic property, nestled in the heart of St. Paris Ohio. The property features not one, but two buildings, both with office and garage space. The first building is 5,500 sq. ft. and features 3 separate offices, a meeting area and a bonus kitchen area. There are also four bay garages providing plenty of space for your business needs.

The second building is 1800 sq. ft. and also features an office, garage and ample storage space. Both buildings have restrooms for your customers' convenience. There is plenty of parking on the property and it is close to other business and retail. Please contact the CEP directly if interested. 

Grocery Opens Soon in St. Paris

4/8/2021

 

Ice Cream Parlor Will Also Return

St. Paris Shoppers Groceries & Deli
A new grocery store will open in St. Paris at the site of the old IGA. The sign is ready and the store is set to open soon. Urbana Daily Citizen Staff photo
It’s been two years since the IGA grocery store closed in the village. Since then, St. Paris residents have been relying on its Dollar General store for quick shopping trips within the village, but the lack of an actual grocery store has been a glaring void for residents who don’t want to drive to larger towns.

After several months of planning, a new store will open at the old IGA location.

The new owner, Raj Vangaveti, said he plans to be opening “any day now” as St. Paris Shoppers and Grocery. The store will include fresh produce, meats and other traditional fresh grocery items, Vangaveti said.
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St. Paris Hires New Chief of Police

4/8/2021

 
After several months without a police chief, the St. Paris Village Council voted to hire a full-time chief during Monday’s regular council meeting.

Eric Smith of Bridgeport will earn a salary of $47,500 a year as defined by the village handbook.

There will also be a “Canine Care Allowance” of $6,235.32 a year.

Smith begins his duties on May 1, according to information from St. Paris Mayor Brenda Cook. A probation period will last until Nov. 1, at which time the mayor with the village’s safety committee will evaluate performance and recommend to council permanent appointment or dismissal.

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St. Paris Growing its Commerce

1/19/2021

 
Family Country Cuts in St. Paris salon.
Laryssa Vanhoose has her hair cut to shoulder-length at Family Country Cuts in St. Paris. Vanhoose drives from Springfield to patronize Janie Douglas and her salon. Photo by Andrew Grimm | Andrew Grimm Photography
By Andrew Grimm, Urbana Daily Citizen Contributing Writer
ST. PARIS — Last year was a rough one for small businesses with a pandemic and measures taken in Ohio to slow the spread of the virus and with many shoppers buying online instead of local. Despite the challenges, small municipalities like St. Paris are striving to keep their commerce areas surviving and thriving.

Village Administrator Spencer Mitchell has actively promoted businesses around the village. Mitchell has been sharing updates on existing and upcoming businesses at village council meetings and on social media.

“There are businesses here that are important to the people of St Paris,” said Mitchell, citing a number of existing small businesses that have managed to navigate the COVID-19 situation and continue to serve the community. “Kyle Bowman of St. Paris Hardware, Jeff Wooten of Wooten Automotive and Dale Thornton of Thornton’s Carpet — those are just some of the business owners that I’ve spoken to throughout this stressful year.”

Mitchell credits each owner’s business acumen and commitment to the St. Paris community to “grow stronger” in 2021. “Shopping local, supporting local businesses and promoting goodwill in the community is what we in St. Paris believe in,” he said.

Mitchell is highlighting the accomplishments of business owners and businesses that recently opened, are planning to open, or are renovating in the village.

Family Country Cuts, located at 211 W. Main St. opened this month.

Janie Douglas’s salon offers a variety of services such as haircuts for men and women, coloring, make-up, facial waxing, manicure and pedicure and facials.

Douglas brought on two more workers, one full time and one part time, and is excited to see the growth of her business. Hinting at possibly including massage therapy, Douglas hopes to see the small operation become a full-fledged salon.

Walk-in hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment only weekdays after 5 p.m. and on Saturdays. Appointments can be made by calling 937- 869-8300.

Longbow Health Plans, located at 120 S. Springfield St. opened in June of 2020 and is an agency composed of insurance professionals who offer “high quality insurance products and retirement planning services to meet your goals and budget.”

Clay Ruffner, the founder of Longbow, graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and later Case Western Reserve University with an MBA. Clay is a licensed, independent agent “committed to not only finding clients fantastic coverage,” but also providing ongoing support. “We aren’t finding you coverage and then leaving you in the dust,” Ruffner said. “Put us as a contact on your phone, because we never want to be far away, and always want to be your trusted expert.”

Longbow Health Plans holds office hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and can be reached by calling 937-788-7713.

Retail store Pony Wagon Bargains, located at 146 S. Springfield St. opened in October of 2020.

Owners Jason and Jessica Anderson held the store’s grand opening on October 31. Claiming to have “something for everyone,” the Pony Wagon Bargains offers discount prices on many top name-brand items including electronics, household, health and beauty, children’s toys, baby items and more.

Pony Wagon Bargains is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 4-8 p.m. on Wednesdays; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Future offerings
A new grocery is preparing to open this spring after the village lost its IGA to closure. Since the IGA closed, village residents have been relying on a chain store retailer and the local farmers market during the warm season.

Mitchell met with the owners of the new business and toured the progress of renovations in late December.

Mitchell said the new owners do not wish to speak publicly, but promised to relay any permissible information to the public as it becomes available. “He’s excited to join this community and the community is excited about having a grocery store once again. Details on branding, staffing and things of that sort have not been communicated to us yet,” Mitchell said of the unnamed owner.

Debbie McGuire Lyons is the building owner at 115 Main St.
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Braden’s Cafe & Sweets was the last tenant and has since closed.

Lyons is in the midst of a full renovation of the entire building, but has not indicated what the long-term plans will be. Lyons declined public comment but did say “the structural repairs are underway” as she has “big plans for the building’s future.”
Reach Andrew Grimm at UDCeditor@aimmediamidwest.com.

Results of County Housing Market Study to be Unveiled at Feb. 14 Public Meeting

2/6/2020

 
Community leaders have known for some time that Champaign County needs more available housing options to attract new businesses – and their workforce – and to support growth of existing business.
 
Recommendations to help Champaign County provide the full range of current and future housing needs will be unveiled at a public meeting, 8:30 to 11 a.m., February 14, in the Champaign County Community Center Auditorium.
 
The recommendations are part of the Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis for Champaign County, developed by the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) and commissioned by the Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP).
 
CEP Director Marcia Bailey said that the housing market analysis will be shared first with local county, city, village and township officials before the public meeting.
 
“The February 14 public meeting is open to all citizens and will provide information of special interest to business leaders, developers, real estate professionals, builders, property owners, financial institutions and others interested in helping Champaign County thrive,” Bailey said.
 
She added that an evening session will be scheduled for late February or early March and additional public meetings will be announced to provide residents multiple opportunities to learn more about the study findings.
 
The GOPC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on helping improve Ohio communities through smart growth strategies and research. The GOPC regularly provides expert analyses to public, private and nonprofit leaders at the local, state and national level.
 
Bailey said that the study is designed to serve local leaders as a guide for making decisions that support a broad range of housing options for all segments of the population. And to attract new residents, including young families drawn by jobs and people looking for a quieter lifestyle within commuting distance of their jobs in metropolitan areas.
 
The study covers the county as a whole, as well as the four primary population centers, Urbana, Mechanicsburg, St. Paris and North Lewisburg.
 
The GOPC conducted the study with the guidance of steering and advisory committees composed of local government officials and representatives of financial institutions, developers, builders, property owners, real estate agents and business owners.
 
Examples of recommendations made in the study include:
  • Create a standing consortium of local representatives like those on the study advisory committee to continually focus on housing initiatives.
  • Prioritize historic downtowns and main street, as “vibrant downtowns become economic and civic centers whose success often attracts new housing investments and increased commercial traffic throughout a municipality.”
  • Use economic development tools, such as community reinvestment areas, to promote housing development.
  • Protect existing housing stock from decline and return abandoned and neglected properties to productive use.
  • Use creative financing and funding strategies to help support development.
  • Maintain affordability of housing.

Take Guided Hike through Kiser Lake Wetland

1/29/2020

 
Kiser Lake
Learn about owls, and maybe see or hear one, during a nature hike guided by local owl expert and preserve manager Greg Helentjaris from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Kiser Lake Wetland, a fen preserve surrounded by Kiser Lake State Park.

The trail adjacent to Mosquito Creek goes through the heart of the remaining wetland, an ideal location for these birds of prey.

The hike will begin at the trail head near the kiosk, 3975 Kiser Lake Road, St. Paris. For more information, contact Michelle Comer, the West District regional manager for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, at michelle.comer@dnr.state.oh.us or 937-537-6173.
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Old Souls Farms Expansion

6/6/2019

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Old Souls Farms
Old Souls Farms owner Ethan Snyder displays the hydroponics in his second greenhouse, finished in December 2018, which rotates basil, arugula and a spring mix lettuce blend for sale to local food service companies. Photos by Christopher Selmek | Urbana Daily Citizen
By Christopher Selmek, Urbana Daily Citizen
cselmek@aimmediamidwest.com
ST. PARIS - Old Souls Farms, at 9684 Smith Road near St. Paris, is beginning a significant expansion and expects to have a 10-acre greenhouse next to an existing greenhouse in which to grow even more basil, arugula and spring mix lettuce blend within the next 18 to 24 months.
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Following the completion of the first greenhouse in 2016, and the second in December of 2018, owner Ethan Snyder said he began contemplating growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and possibly strawberries for what he said would probably be the most diverse greenhouse in the state.


Old Souls Farms
Old Souls Farms owner Ethan Snyder walks beside the land on which he intends to build a 10-acre greenhouse he will use to expand the product line he can sell to local restaurants.
“The people I was selling to were wanting it all the time, so it made sense to keep expanding,” Snyder said. “We live out here on the farm, so it’s kind of a 24/7 job for us, but I’m sure that’s something that most farmers would be familiar with.”

Local Produce Champaign County Ohio
The first greenhouse constructed by Old Souls Farms in 2016 allows the harvesting of about 4,000 plants every day.
Snyder acquired the 86-acre farm in 2012, at which point the woman he is now married to, Olivia, named it Old Souls Farms because she said Ethan was an old soul. They currently have 35,000 square feet under glass and are able to harvest about 4,000 plants every day.

“Every Whole Foods in Ohio carries our products,” he said. “It was a little tough to get into Champaign County, but we sell to Gordon’s FoodService and now they’re using us at several local restaurants. I know for sure that Lincoln & Main carries us now. There were some smaller restaurants that weren’t worth bringing a truck to, but when we started selling with Gordon’s that has allowed us to become the pride of the community, which is a little ironic, I guess.”

Snyder is now working with the Bom Group, of Holland, to design the new greenhouse. The previous two were designed by the Rough Brothers of Cincinnati, which supplied drawings and material, but Snyder said his team was able to build most of it. His father has experience as a general contractor, and they have an engineer on staff.

The two existing greenhouses are fully automated, with total climate control, an opening and closing roof, grow lights, fans, liquid CO2 for cooling and heat pipes.

The second greenhouse is built on a treadmill so that plants start out young on one end, move about five rows forward each day, and are ready to harvest by the time they reach the front row.

From there crops go to the packaging room for shipping the next day. Snyder said they originally shipped on the same day, but some food distributors needed the product temperature to cool more slowly for efficient delivery.

“This has been something I was always pulled toward,” he said. “I grew up in a suburb of Columbus, which is where I had my first garden, and we found this land available on line. I never went to college for agriculture.

We just did a lot of internet research, and none of us were afraid to ask questions. Ohio State has been really helpful, and we went out to Cornell to learn as much as we could before starting the farm.”
​

Snyder said Old Souls has 12 employees and he hopes to have a staff as large as 80 once the expansion is complete. Interested job seekers are invited to stop by the farm and fill out an application.

Christopher Selmek can be reached at 937-508-2304.
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CEP Enters 5th Year Advancing Local Economic Development

4/26/2019

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Marcia Bailey
Marcia Bailey
By Marcia Bailey, Director Champaign Economic Partnership
There’s power in working together for a shared purpose of business expansion and job creation. The Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP) has proven that, since becoming Champaign County’s economic development agency, nearly five years ago.
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The CEP couldn’t do this without the financial support, talent and leadership of our partners, the City of Urbana, the Champaign County Commissioners, Mechanicsburg, North Lewisburg and St. Paris, more than 20 local businesses and our 19-member board.
Key development projects
Thanks to economic development investments by private businesses working with the CEP, Urbana – for the first time ever – ranked 41st in the Site Selection magazine’s 2017 list of top U.S. micropolitan communities.
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Recent successes include the new Navistar distribution center, Memorial Health’s medical building, expansion of Weidmann Electrical Technology, opening of Nutrien Ag Solutions, Sutphen Corporation’s new Service, Parts and Refurbishment Center, expansion of Old Souls Farms hydroponic operations, expansion of Advanced Technology Products and purchase of the former Robert Rothschild Farm property.

Champaign County manufacturing jobs have grown from under 3,000 jobs in 2013 to nearly 4,000 in 2018.

Major projects for 2019 include:
  • Construction of a 54-room Cobblestone Hotel in Urbana, owned by local investors
  • Completion of cleanup of the former Q3/Johnson Manufacturing site 
  • Development of the proposed Legacy Place project to transform the former Urbana North and South Elementary schools and the Douglas Hotel into 51 affordable senior living apartments.
Preparing the workforce
The CEP is partnering with schools and businesses in numerous ways to help make sure Champaign County has the skilled workforce required by new and expanding businesses.

Results of these partnerships include:
  • The CEP's new business liaison, Ashley Cook, who helps coordinate workforce development initiatives with schools and businesses 
  • Internships and job shadowing opportunities
  • Job fairs and in-school presentations by businesses 
  • The online Community Job Connect job board, where local employers post job openings 
  • 11 TV monitors placed around Champaign County broadcasting news about local training programs, job openings, and economic development 
  • Ohio Hi-Point Career Center’s Advanced Manufacturing program at Triad Local Schools
  • YouTube videos of our local manufacturers
  • The Champaign County Business Advisory Council, partnering with schools and businesses preparing students for the local workforce.

Future development
  • Also in the works for economic development:
  • The City of Urbana will be reviewing results on development ideas for the South Main Street Corridor as well as the South High Street Corridor for potential improvement of pedestrian and bicycle traffic, drainage and parking
  • The Sowles Hotel building will be redeveloped for office and retail space.
  • The CEP will help St. Paris market its enterprise zone.
  • The CEP will be establishing a Community Reinvestment Area in Mechanicsburg 
  • The CEP will continue promoting Urbana’s Certified Opportunity Zone (COZ) which offers incentives for development in economically distressed areas.
  • Downtown property owners are moving ahead with redevelopment projects, following the Moving Downtown Forward initiative launched by the CEP in 2018.

For more information, call the CEP at 937-653-7200 or browse CEPOhio.com.
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Mercy Health Opening Clinic in St. Paris

9/19/2018

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Mercy Health - St. Paris Family Medicine
Mercy Health - St. Paris Family Medicine
Mercy Health – Springfield announced that it will open a primary care practice in St. Paris on Sept. 26. Mercy Health – St. Paris Family Medicine is located adjacent to Wier Dentistry at 114B S. Springfield St.

Jamie Kennedy, a St. Paris resident, is the nurse practitioner at the practice, which has two exam rooms. The practice will offer a full range of primary care services, prescriptions, immunizations, acute illness care and more.

“There are communities where people struggle to access the health care they need. Mercy Health – St. Paris Family Medicine bridges the gap, connecting area residents directly to fundamental health services at a location convenient for them,” said Lee Syphus, Chief Operating Officer of Mercy Health Physicians – Springfield. “As a mission-based organization, we are proud to share our resources to help keep communities well.”

St. Paris Family Medicine will host a ribbon-cutting and open house noon-2 p.m. on Oct. 2. Visitors can meet Kennedy, tour the practice and learn about the services available there.

St. Paris Family Medicine will be open initially 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesdays and 8 a.m.-noon on Fridays. The clinic hours will grow based on community need. For more information or to make an appointment, call 937-523-9816.
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Screens Provide Career, Education News

8/14/2018

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Downtown Urbana Monitors

CEP placing monitors around county

With the help of financial sponsors, the Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP) will be placing TV monitors around the county – like the one in the CEP’s Monument Square office window – to broadcast information about economic and workforce development, career training and local jobs.
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Ten monitors will be placed in public areas – one each at the five Champaign County high schools; in the villages of Mechanicsburg, North Lewisburg and St. Paris; Urbana University; and Ohio Hi-Point. The monitors will be installed beginning in late August. Content shown on the monitors will be generated by the CEP.

Urbana University and Ohio Hi-Point Career Center are providing funds to purchase the monitors and associated equipment, while DP&L and FASTLANE are assisting with funding for ongoing media service to broadcast content on the monitors.

CEP Director Marcia Bailey added that Berry Digital Solutions is helping the CEP manage the project and that Weidmann Electrical Technology Inc. funded the original monitor at the CEP.

The purpose, she said, is to inform students and other county residents about local career opportunities and education and training available to prepare students for the workforce “I’m a strong believer in the education-workforce ecosystem. And the CEP is leading the way to organizing education and employers, preparing talent to meet the needs of our employers,” said Christopher Washington, executive vice president and CEO of Urbana University, a branch campus of Franklin University.

The monitors are the ideal way to deliver the information, he adds.

“Kids today are digitally wired and pay attention to what’s on the screen.”

​Kelsey Webb, Ohio Hi-Point director of communications and marketing, said, “We’re participating because this is completely in our wheelhouse to prepare students for career or college. We’re excited to help spread the message that there are great opportunities here for students.”
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CEP Office Location:
40 Monument Square, Suite 306
Urbana, Ohio 43078
937-653-7200
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