At their annual meeting at the end of April, some major changes took place within the Downtown Mantua Revitalization Corporation (DMRC), an organization that has served as a catalyst in the Village since 2007. Edie Benner, who has served as DMRC President at the non-profit’s creation in 2007, has stepped down from this position. Long-time member and former Vice President Toomas Tubalkain was elected to serve as President for a two-year term. As Tubalkain assumed his new role, his former position as Vice President was left vacant. Phil Rath was elected to complete the remaining one-year VP term and Ellie Stamm, the current Treasurer was unanimously elected to continue in that position. Terri Vechery, Jodie Fiala, and Julie Stamm were each reelected to their positions on the Board of Directors. Tubalkain, the new President, will appoint a candidate to the vacancy on the Board of Directors formerly occupied by Phil Rath.
The annual meeting provided an opportunity for those gathered to reflect on the progress made toward their original goal to breathe new life into the historic downtown area of the Village of Mantua. The DMRC currently has 34 members. The organization’s work was bolstered by community involvement and strengthened by the renovation of the former Haylett building by Restoration 44 Coffee Company (2019) on the west side of Main Street as well as the R44 group’s renovation on the east side of Main with Restoration 44 Butcher & Baker Shop (2020).
To help create a more accessible and attractive Main Street, Dan Tillett from R44 worked with the DMRC to solicit a $176,000 grant from Portage Development to build an elevated walkway and patio area to allow ADA accessibility on the east side of Main Street. The DMRC also received a grant to upgrade the facades on the remaining buildings in the block. Work on the sidewalk began in March, with the façade project to follow. Each grant received requires that the community contribute a portion of the costs to the project, which has been provided by the DMRC. Through forward thinking and community involvement, the projects that began as ideas 17 years ago will come to fruition in 2024.
In addition, the DMRC had been involved with continuous upgrades of Buchert Park. Most recently, they helped the Village receive an Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant to repair the floor of Pavilion One, install an ADA-accessible sidewalk to that pavilion, and repair the fencing at the basketball court. The DMRC is currently working to solicit grants for Phase Five upgrades, which include installation of volleyball and pickleball courts. As with previous grants, DMRC will provide the required community matching funds for this grant as well.
In other news, the DMRC continues to collaborate on grants and projects throughout the Village. Two major projects have or will soon reach completion: the East Main Street sidewalk (pictured) and the Façade projects. Additional projects include Village Park Phase Five, which includes a volleyball court and pickleball court and a project to improve parking behind Crooked River Flower Shop.
Future success depends on volunteers and community support at upcoming meetings and events, including the Triple Trail Fest on June 1st, the Adventure Race on June 29th, Art on the Hill on July 13th, and the Potato Festival the weekend after Labor Day. Find out more about DMRC at revitalizemantua.org. Learn more about what’s happening in Mantua at the next Village Council meeting on Tuesday, May 21st at 6 pm.
