STREETSBORO, Ohio — It was a popular complaint that Mayor Glenn Broska noticed: Streetsboro had no central hub.
"We do master plans every five years and inevitably, with the last two, people have said Streetsboro doesn't have an identity, and we don't have a downtown," Broska explained. We never did have a downtown. We were a largely agricultural community for 195 years."
That changes later this month as a ribbon cutting is set for Saturday, Jan. 17, for the city's newest City Hall.
Located near the intersection of Route 43 and Route 14, the City Hall joins the new fire station, a splash pad, and plans for a gazebo and an inclusive playground.
"We want to create an area for people to gather and people to call the center of town," Broska said. "You'll have city hall, the center oval where we can have art in the park, a gazebo and little concerts and get-togethers. This will be the hub."
For the past six years, the city has worked out of offices on Frost Road.
For lifelong Streetsboro resident Stephanie Stepp, the development addresses a long-standing need for the city.
"It needed a heart, we didn't have it before, and we got it now," Stepp said. "My grandson is going to love the splash pad. I think it's beautiful. I'm so glad they did it."
However, major construction challenges still lie ahead for what's set to become "downtown Streetsboro."
Starting in April, road crews will begin nighttime work to rebuild the intersection of Route 14 and 43.
The project involves removing and replacing concrete on 10 lanes of traffic and repaving the intersection for the first time in 20 years.
"It's going to be a mess," Broska said. "There's no two ways about it. There's too many cars a day."
The repaving is set to extend along Route 14 from the turnpike to the intersection with Route 43. Along Route 43, repaving is scheduled from Market Square Drive all the way south to Twin Lakes.
The mayor is advising drivers to consider alternate routes during the nine-month construction period, which is scheduled to wrap up in January 2027.
"I've come out publicly and said if you're coming from Ravenna, you're probably better off going up 44 and getting on the turnpike and skipping us completely for nine months," Broska said.
Once both projects are complete, Broska said the transformation will be dramatic.
"This whole center of town will basically be brand new," Broska said.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
