Spring has sprung and development projects are popping up like daffodils across our Township. If you follow us on social media (and if you don’t, you should), I often start posts by saying, “Another Dream Come True in West Chester Township!” Well, this quarter, it was my turn. I have been listening to WMKV for years, so jumped at the chance to go on the “Listen Up, Lakota” program when asked to talk about West Chester Economic Development. If interested in hearing me and the general manager of our new Bass Pro on the show, you can listen to me fan-girling it here on the Feb. 16th podcast.
Speaking of Bass Pro, they are open for business! They had a huge Grand Opening in February, and West Chester is so happy to have them at The Streets of West Chester, drawing a crowd. If you missed it, below is a Facebook video of all the opening night action, Bengal cheerleaders and all.
It wasn’t just Bass Pro drawing crowds this quarter; the Shamrock Shuffle was back and better than ever. The 5K race had more than 2,100 participants and 40 sponsors. Check out photos of the event here.
READ MORE: What's New in West Chester! (2Q-2024)
In other cool news, the USS Cincinnati Memorial will be coming to West Chester’s Voice of America Park. Parts of the former Cold War-era submarine will be part of a proposed Cold War Memorial and Peace Pavilion at the park. The memorial will have an education component focusing on math, science, and engineering skills. This is an awesome addition to our community. See proposed plans here.
Great things continue to happen in West Chester. GE Aerospace announced it will invest $18.2 million in its GE Additive facility at the West Chester Trade Center. Three West Chester companies were finalists in the 2023 REDI Cincinnati James A Wuenker Growth Awards. No other community could claim more finalists. It seems these days the Community Development office is busier than ever. This quick video below shows some current highlights about our community.
Because hope springs eternal, I will end this quarter’s column with a plea. Entertrainment Junction’s owner is ready to retire, and they are actively looking for a new owner to buy the business. My children have loved going there for years. Come on West Chester, let’s find them a new owner so we can all still enjoy family time at the World’s Largest Indoor Train Display. Read about it here and help spread the word.
Drop me a line at kkanelopoulos@westchesteroh.org, I'd love to keep up with you.