A Shot In The Arm Reynoldsburg lands major development at Brice and Main Drone image of the Brice and Main site TheAlliance If you have lived in Reynoldsburg long enough, you may have seen a now- vacant property on the corner of Brice and Main. So many of us shopped at the old KMart for decades. Times have changed and economics dictated a new future for this property. This summer, the City of Reynoldsburg and The Alliance, an international Christian organization committed to caring for overlooked people in the this country and throughout the world, came together to establish a new international headquarter for the organization for several reasons. As the idea of moving from Colorado to Reynoldsburg was discussed, a set of criteria emerged that included diversity of population, proximity to the majority of The Alliance’s 2,000 U.S. churches, affordability for staff and operations and most importantly, opportunities for daily interaction with neighbors and local business owners. Reynoldsburg by the friendly, inviting posture of the governmental leadership,” said Robb Childs, Alliance relocation coordinator. His comments validate the aggressive and fruitful campaign of city development leaders to fill vacant but potentially successful properties in the city. The development proposal as “Initially, we were attracted to The first structure to be built will be a multi-story building along Brice Road that will house retail stores, offices for The Alliance, an event center and space for lease on the upper floors. Eventually there will be more retail shops, restaurants and sustainable housing. The Alliance is expected to unveil detailed plans for the development in the spring. One of the key anchors for this new size. John Stumbo, President of The Alliance, led by example, moving into Reynoldsburg right away. “We made the decision to trade the amazing view of Pike’s Peak for the significant vision of a new expression of our work,” he said. development will be the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Reynoldsburg Branch. This addition will result in the demolition of their current facility, and will be replaced with a new state-of-theart two-story library, almost doubling in “We’ve been here for six months and have absolutely no regrets. The welcome of the city has been encouraging, the vision for our future continues to sharpen, and our hope for a solid, long-term engagement with this city that benefits all has been confirmed. We feel rightly situated for our future.” planned by city developers will be a 1015 acre site full of shopping, dining, office space, and housing. The best description of this new development would be something like that of Grandview Yard, or a version of Bridge Park in Dublin or Creekside in Gahanna. 18 Top left, The Alliance President John Stumbo removes ceiling tiles as a part of the interior renovations of the new temporary headquarters; Top right, demolition begins; Bottom, President Stumbo, Reynoldsburg Development Director Andrew Bowsher, and Mayor Joe Begeny, in a friendly game of tomato tossing at the new construction site. What is The Alliance? The Alliance was started in 1887 from a vision by Pastor A. B. Simpson in New York City, who became heartbroken over the plight of the homeless, the immigrant, and the marginalized. Today, it shares this passion to offer tangible help and lasting hope to the world’s neediest people. Through 2,000 churches in the United States and 700 workers in 70 countries, The Alliance pays forward the love of Jesus to suffering and overlooked people in our communities and throughout the world through a wide variety of developmental and compassionate care ministries and initiatives. Reynoldsburg Magazine • Fall, 2021
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