Orange barrels, hard hats signal progress
5/8/2009
While Gov. Ted Strickland recently touted the benefits of the federal stimulus package in jump-starting the project to widen Ohio 104, Ross County and southern Ohio continue to benefit also from the private sector that’s pouring millions into area projects.
While Walgreens continues to take shape on Western Avenue at Plyley’s Lane, work is beginning on a $1.5 million replacement for the Certified Oil station on North Bridge Street at Marietta Road and Chillicothe will be home shortly to an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store.
The company, based in Springfield, MO, plans a 7,225 square foot structure at 201 N. Bridge St., just north of the Goodwill store and across the street from AutoZone. The company started in 1957 with the O’Reilly family and now has 3,285 stores in 38 states and more than 40,000 employees. The new construction is valued at $505,750. Check out the company: www.oreillyauto.com
Construction is moving right along on the $45 million northeast expansion at the Adena Regional Medical Center and the Ardmore Crossing Apartments on Anderson Station Road are taking shape.
On the government side, a building at the VA Medical Center is being renovated for a new nursing home for veterans while other jobs are being completed on the campus. The steel rafters are up on the $13 million transit depot/garage for the city of Chillicothe on Seventh and Watt streets and the good weather is allowing for speeded construction on the bridge over High Street for the bikers and hikers.
In Pike County, while work has slowed on construction at the American Centrifuge Plant until a decision is made on the $2 billion loan guarantee request of USEC, the cleanup project at the former gaseous diffusion plant got a $118 million shot in the arm from the federal stimulus program. The county also is building a new senior center in Waverly.
So, while this area struggles economically along with much of the rest of the nation, there are signs of expansion and growth.
