Sylvania’s Main St. in Phase 1

How surrounding businesses are faring with construction

SYLVANIA – Main Street in Sylvania is typically peaceful, with visitors strolling up and down to enjoy the restaurants, retail establishments and community events.

But if you’ve visited recently, you may have noticed that the street is currently in a state of upheaval due to construction. Main Street is being revitalized for the first time in over 40 years.

According to the City of Sylvania website, talks for this project began in August 2022 during a stakeholder meeting for the Downtown Transportation Improvements Project. The revitalization is expected to last until 2026. Construction is still in phase one, the longest phase, which will see most of the construction work. 

Phase one, expected to be completed this fall, is organized into four stages. A newsletter provided by the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce broke down the four stages.

Stage 1: Focuses on Main Street (East Side) construction from Maplewood Avenue to Erie Street, and Maplewood Avenue (North Side) construction from Main Street to Summit Street.

Timeline: Feb. 20 until spring 2025

Work Being Done:

 Stage 2:  Focuses on Main Street (East Side) from Monroe Street to Maplewood Avenue

Estimated Timeline: Spring 2025 to mid-summer 2025

Work Being Done:

Stage 3: Focuses on Main Street (West Lane) construction from Monroe Street to Maplewood Avenue

Estimated Timeline: Mid-summer 2025 until fall 2025

Work Being Done:

• Removal and installation of sidewalk pavement, curb, pavers, planters, and lighting

Stage 4: Focuses on Main Street from Monroe Street to Maplewood Avenue, and Maplewood Avenue from Main Street to Summit Street

Estimated Timeline: Fall 2025 – fall 2025

Work Being Done:

Phase one will also see the burial of power lines; phase two will include all of Main Street between Maplewood Avenue and Erie Street and all of Maplewood Avenue between Main Street and Summit Street.

Most of the work done in 2026 will be a beautification process, including the addition of more seating areas and making the street more walkable for the city’s elderly community. 

Inevitably, an operation of this magnitude will have an impact on businesses. Cars can only drive northbound on the westside lane. Walking on the sidewalk is less enjoyable due to construction dust and noise. Some businesses have seen a decline in customers as a result.  

“We’ve heard both positive comments and some hardships as well,” explained Natalie McDonald, marketing manager at Sylvania Chamber of Commerce. She said businesses have been more positive about the process than expected. 

She also said that some businesses have worked together to overcome these setbacks. The examples she gave were Beautiful Blooms working with Upside Brewing, and Ragazza holding a Sip & Strut Through the Dust event at Inside the Five’s outdoor patio. 

The chamber of Commerce serves as the point of contact when businesses have questions or concerns about the construction. McDonald says she always does her best to handle those concerns. 

“I might not know the answer to what’s going on in a certain place at a certain time, but I know who to ask and I know who to get that contact information, and then the city reaches out within that day.”

Natalie McDonald

She said the Commerce tells them, “I hear you. Let me address this with the people who are in charge of this construction project.”

She also advises that “if you have an event or you have something, share it with us. We’ll share it with the community because we have a reach of over 13,000 just on our Facebook; we want to share with the community and get that out there.”

To keep citizens informed, the Sylvania Chamber website has a page titled Sylvania Strong. Businesses receive a weekly newsletter, The Road Ahead, while visitors can sign up for Path to Progress, a biweekly newsletter. They also post regularly on social media.

William Sanford, director of Economic Development, said that the downtown Sylvania Main Street construction project costs $4.4 million. The city is using approximately $1.5 million from the American Recovery Rescue Plan Funding and the balance from funds in their water and sewer accounts, Ohio Public Works Commission funds and the City’s capital improvement fund.

Businesses weigh in

J & G Pizza Palace has served Italian and Greek Food in Downtown Sylvania for over 50 years. It has been run by the Dallas family since 1979. 

Owner Mark Dallas said he has noticed a decline in revenue since construction started. Though he did not have exact figures available, he noted the restaurant is not as busy as it should be, as the street is more difficult to navigate and the parking lot is more difficult to access. 

“I think a lot of older people have difficulty with navigating to get in; everything’s open, but some people, you know, the older people, struggle sometimes,” he said.

Dallas said business was much worse when construction first began, but credits the city for adapting. The city originally had signs that led people to believe the street was closed, but that changed quickly. He said the street was a ghost town before local groups had the city change the signs. 

Dallas says it is an inconvenience now, but looks forward to the finished product.

“It may cause a little discomfort now, but when it’s all finished, it’s going to be nice, it’s going to be exciting, people are really going to like it. There’s going to be no curbs.”

He continued, “With all the functions down here, there’s going to be extra seating out here, so it’s just that you’ve got to go through the pain now…I believe we’ll make it up with people coming down to enjoy down here a little bit.”

Erin Ann’s is a much newer business on the west side of Main Street. Founded in 2022, the shop features gluten and dairy-free ice cream, smoothies and more.

Scott Stampflmeier owns the store, and said business has not been affected by the construction. In fact, sales are up compared to last year. He acknowledged that this may change once construction moves to the west side. 

Stampflmeier said he interacts with chamber members regularly in the parking lot, and his wife, Erin Stampflmeier, receives emails from them. Like Dallas, he believes business will improve once construction is finished.

“I think it’s going to change a lot because right now people see us better with all the stuff that’s [been] taken down. There were a lot of trees and everything and it actually kind of blocked the view. A lot of people didn’t even know we’re here. They see us now.”

McDonald believes the construction will have a positive impact on the community

“I think it will really bring the community together, and I know that we’ve tried our best to make this an outward community project,” she said. “They already have Redbird First Fridays downtown, and I just think it’s gonna amplify those events.”