$2 million community-focused renovations to The Athens Armory will support business growth, remote working, leadership development, nonprofit support services
Athens, Ohio – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted announced the first-round recipients of the Appalachian Community Grant Program, which includes the planned renovations of The Athens Armory. The Athens Armory project was funded as part of a larger four-county initiative called At Work in Appalachia. Developed in partnership by the City of Athens and other Appalachian communities, At Work in Appalachia establishes coordinated, interconnected remote work and entrepreneur hubs, and locally-designed health and workforce development programming through a series of public and private partnerships.
“This landmark investment in Appalachia is going to change lives and improve communities,” said Athens Mayor Steve Patterson. “The communities of the At Work in Appalachia program express their deepest gratitude to Governor DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Husted, Director Mihalek, Director Carey, and to all of the partners who helped make this program a success.”
In addition to The Athens Armory, the funds will help complete several capital projects within four Appalachian communities of Ohio: The Logan Theater in Logan; The Space at the Hocking Hills Chamber of Commerce; The Somerset Builder’s Club in Somerset; and the Coshocton Collaborative in Coshocton. These projects are “lynchpin” projects, which will breathe new vibrancy into long-neglected downtown districts, and will serve as catalysts for further improvements and development.
“The Athens Armory is an iconic community asset, built for civic purpose,” said Kerry Pigman, executive director of the Athens County Foundation. “It will now have a new life, adapted for advancing our Athens County communities today. We are grateful to have worked alongside the City of Athens and so many community partners and individuals whose ideas shaped the vision for how this space would best serve Athens county and our region.”
The plans for The Athens Armory call for a community gathering space that will be available for use by organizations and the general public. Portions of the building will be designed as shared workspace and the permanent offices for the Athens County Foundation. The Athens County Foundation is expanding and evolving their flagship Leadership Athens County Program to provide new opportunities for collaboration, skill-building, and community service to emerging leaders, youth, and the more than 300 alumni of the program. From this new space, the Athens County Foundation will be able to offer expanded services that respond to community needs and help nonprofits to thrive and be sustainable.
In total, the At Work in Appalachia initiative was awarded $17,674,641 from the Ohio Department of Development and the Governor’s Office of Appalachia through the Appalachian Community Grant Program. The program dedicated $500 million to Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region through House Bill 377 and is intended to revitalize communities and stimulate transformational change through specific projects that focus on infrastructure development, physical and behavioral health, and workforce development. At Work in Appalachia is one of four projects that received funding in this $50 million first round of awards.
Founded in 1980, the Athens County Foundation invests in local strategies to empower Athens County residents and build on the strengths of our region now and for generations to come.