Recreational Renaissance

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Zanesville and Muskingum County are on a mission to broaden their appeal in hope of better capitalizing on the economic boom that is forecasted in the near future.

Muskingum Valley Park District Executive Director Russell Edgington explains how his organization ties in with those plans and often plays a key role in getting them up and running.

“Most people don’t recognize that recreation and tourism activities generate millions and millions of dollars for communities,” Edgington said. “So that’s one component. The other thing is that whenever you have quality arts, quality recreation, quality tourism, that makes your community more attractive.”

The overall initiative is to provide amenities that appeal to newcomers, tourists and residents alike, which aims to add value, improve quality of life and boost esteem. Surveys and studies that illustrate public needs and wants are often shared between the various governments and agencies.

“We do work closely with both community development and public works departments and stuff and the city whenever we’re working on a project because we don’t want to duplicate efforts that they may be working on. And the bigger picture is to cooperate, work together so that the community has enhanced recreational opportunities,” Edgington said.

The park district leverages their limited tax revenues with grant funding, which they seek and apply for and each project is factored to provide the community with a maximum return on investment.