Retrospect: Village celebrated project completion

Fort Recovery residents, along with state, federal and local officials, held a dedication ceremony for the completion of a downtown revitalization project 25 years ago this week.

Village residents celebrated Project Recovery by dancing on the new brick street on Oct. 23, 1992. The street was part of the project taken on by community leaders and also included street lamps, benches, trees, major infrastructure improvements beneath the pavement, curbs and gutters.

The total cost of Project Recovery was $878,700, which included a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant, $267,000 in local funds, $184,000 from owners of buildings in the downtown district and the remainder from local groups and other grants. 

John Wolf, who was village mayor, praised “the hard-working dedicated visionaries of Project Recovery.”

“When you see these people on the street, stop them, shake their hands, and congratulate them on a job well done,” Wolf added.

The idea originated when an official from the Ohio Historic Preservation Agency encouraged Fort Recovery business leaders to consider a downtown improvement project using its Main Street philosophy. Members of the Fort Recovery Chamber of Commerce, the local merchants association and village council spearheaded the project in January of 1991.

Village engineer Richard Mote was the designer of the project, and Lorie Kaup volunteered as project administrator.