McConnelsville’s Appalachian Community Grant Projects
McCONNELSVILLE, Ohio – In May of 2024, the State of Ohio announced that the Village of McConnelsville was awarded $10.3 Million dollars from the Appalachian Community Grant program to invest in projects that will enhance the village square and improve its riverside greenspace.
McConnelsville Village Administrator Tim Louis announced an upcoming groundbreaking ceremony that will feature dignitaries from Ohio’s Office of Appalachia and Department of Development, which will take place 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 26th, on the square. He also explained what people can anticipate once the projects are finished.
“So as far as traffic patterns and business access, it should all remain pretty much the same,” Louis said. “We are still retaining the parking on the Square. However, we are making it more… a little bit more functional with a round-a-bout type scenario. It’s going to be what’s called a low speed round-a-bout. It’s going to have raised crosswalks on entry and it’s going to have some bump outs on the curbs to slow traffic down and also some traffic islands to also slow traffic down. One of the main problems we have here in the downtown is the speed.”
Louis noted that a large sewer pipe under the Square will need to be replaced before surface renovations can begin and that the Square’s redesign, once the renovations are completed, shouldn’t affect its capability of holding the annual events and festivities that have become core components within the community’s culture.
“The riverfront project is a very neat project in my opinion,” Louis said. “It’s a project that’s actually taking some of the riverbank out and putting it in a different area. And we are going to try to make it so where it’s easier to maintain. It’s going to be more of a park atmosphere to where it’s going to be inviting to families. We’re condensing the roadway a little bit on Riverside Drive, so that it’ll slow traffic down and bring more of an urban atmosphere to the environment.”
Louis anticipates construction for the projects to begin sometime in September and must be completed by September 30th, of 2026.
