Back in the 1920s, Toledo Ohio was at its height. Its industrial manufacturing was producing income for the city and people were flocking to live here. Toledo was thriving. Decades later, after a steady decline due to the need for that level of industrialization dwindled, Toledo has become just another result of the rust belt falling away into poverty.
However, within the past 4-6 years, the Glass City has seen a rejuvenation beginning within its downtown district and pouring out across the rest of the greater Toledo area that has been sparking hope in the residents within the city that it will once again be a place they can be proud of and call home.
The impressive amount of time, money, and energy that has been poured into this revitalization is becoming more apparent by the outstanding results such as the Glass City Center Hotel and Event Space that was recently completely remodeled and reopened last year, or the new apartment complexes slated for completion by 2026 where the old mall used to be.
If you have not been in the downtown Toledo area in a while, take a drive to the city center and check out what is new and you might feel like you are in a different town altogether. From the river front rehabilitation of old and historical buildings to Promenade Park, which finished production back in 2017, you will have a hard time finding collapsing abandoned buildings that have not seen the process of renovation begin.
This has been one of the most encouraging sights to see as Toledo now begins taking so many of the previously decade plus long abandoned buildings and starting their reconstruction as the city has been preparing and positioning itself for what they can only hope would be more attraction and more foot traffic.
With the addition of a new candy store for example on the river front as well as many other businesses moving into the Summit St. strip, the hope of the city looks like it is finally being built up, no pun intended.
There still is, however, a long way to go in order to maintain the attraction that has been brewing downtown over the past few years. Grocery stores and markets are of interest for Toledoans to further encourage people to check out the city center.
Regarding shopping and new businesses in the downtown district, Zack Obert, Manager of Ridge and River one of the newer stores that has moved downtown within the last year, said that “we need a Trader Joes or a Whole Foods type thing” and that “…as long as business owners of all different varieties of retail and restaurant… the right people doing the right things, its coming, its happening.”
It is exciting to say that there does not seem to be any slow to the rejuvenation of the downtown district in Toledo, which has been encouraging more businesses to set up shop in the ever growing downtown area.
Once again to take a step back and remember where Toledo was as a city only five or six years ago and the notoriety it has accrued over the past few decades being one of the most notable dilapidated cities in the rust belt to now, and see what has happened and where we have come since then; it really is difficult to say that Toledo is not changing for the better.
Just this past 4th of July, there was a large event that the city held downtown to celebrate the holiday with fireworks, you would not have believed the amount of people that showed up from all over the city. Not just Toledo itself but its suburbs were out celebrating and socializing, as well, enjoying the new life and excitement that is being poured into the downtown district.
In the future, the city of Toledo has many plans to continue its rejuvenation of its downtown district as well as the whole city which includes a Metroparks project aiming to be done by 2028 that includes a new pickle-ball court being installed downtown, which will be open by the end of fall.
Soon you will not hear people bad mouthing Toledo as a run down rustbelt town; on the contrary, you will find people coming back to the Glass City talking about the great amount of opportunity you can find here.
So be on the lookout over the next few years and even the next few months to see what change will be brought to Toledo’s downtown and across the entire city. From pickle-ball courts to new business owners on the Summit St. strip, there are and there will continue to be more to do in Toledo.
