A league of contractors returned to the Old South End to celebrate the neighborhood’s ongoing revitalization.

The Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Ohio Contractors Association gifted the Old South End with repaved and wider sidewalks for safer use and more accessibility to people with disabilities as a part of the completion of its annual project.

The contractors that collaborated on the sidewalks included Mosser Construction, Kokosing Construction, Vernon Nagel, Inc., Crestline Paving, E.S. Wagner Company, Green Earth Ohio, the Shelly Company - All Ohio Ready Mix, and the Gerken Companies - Kuhlman Corp.

“[There’s] a lot of need here,” said Emma Helvey, director of marketing and development at Mosser. “He [Christopher Carry] is making a big impact with his team. There seems to be a need for this community to have sidewalks that can make things more accessible. We’re happy to do it, and we thought it would leave a big, lasting impact for the community.”

The Northwest Ohio Chapter of the OCA did a similar project in the Old South End three years ago, said Mr. Carry, site work and highway department manager at Mosser Construction. 

“We’ve enhanced the sidewalks up and down Western Avenue and basically repurposed many of the areas,” he said.

The deteriorating sidewalks were made wider so people could have more room to pass one another and smoother for those in wheelchairs, making them ADA (American with Disabilities Act) accessible, Mr. Carry said.

As a result of the two to three week project, contractors paved 800 feet on both sides of Western Avenue which cost $35,000 between labor materials and equipment, Mr. Carry said.

The restoration of the sidewalks, he said, builds on the revitalization that has already been done in the Old South End.

“As we continue to enhance the overall space in this area, it’s just going to bring more people out of the homes, create connectivity amongst their neighbors,” Mr. Carry said. “Make it more business friendly, make it more people friendly, and just create that better sense of community.”

Chris Amato, president of the Historic South Initiative, said the collaboration between the eight contractors is great for the community. 

“If everybody’s willing to contribute a little bit, we can do a lot,” he said. “It’s the whole of the group that can really perform some large scale projects.”

First Published December 1, 2023, 10:29 p.m.