20 • The Beacon May 15, 2025
Grand opening of The Coshocton Collaborative celebrated
Coshocton’ s history was merged with its future on May 8 with the grand opening of The Coshocton Collaborative at 538 Main St.
Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amy Crown started off the ribbon-cutting ceremony, held prior to public tours of the building, by commending Tiffany Swigert, executive director of the Coshocton County Port Authority, for her dedication to this project.
“ She had a vision for this space, and it was her dream to turn it into a vibrant hub and a space on Main Street like we’ ve never seen before,” Crown said.“ Welcome to the future of Main Street right here in Coshocton.”
The Coshocton Collaborative is in the former Chacos Building, which once housed the Pastime Theater. The revitalization project is designed to foster small business growth and economic development in downtown Coshocton.
More than $ 6.2 million was invested to renovate the three-story, 24,900-square-foot building and transform it into a unique maker space, business incubator, and coworking facility that will promote entrepreneurship and foster economic growth.
“ This revitalization within the heart of downtown Coshocton will be a catalyst for business growth within Ohio’ s Appalachian region,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.“ Smaller enterprises have long been a cornerstone of Ohio’ s towns and villages, and the Coshocton Collaborative will help these operations grow while adding more vitality within the community.”
The celebration was hosted by the Coshocton County Port Authority and attended by representatives from JobsOhio, OhioSE, the Governor’ s Office of Appalachia and Ohio Mid- East Government Association, as well as State Rep. Mark Hiner
Cristy Bower Commissioner Dane Shryock spoke on behalf of the board of commissioners.
and Coshocton local officials.
“ The collaborative effort to revitalize the former Chacos Building will fill a downtown structure that stood empty since 2011, establishing more office space within the community,” JobsOhio President and CEO J. P. Nauseef said.“ The grand opening of the Coshocton Collaborative marks the completion of one of the earliest JobsOhio Vibrant Community Projects in Southeast Ohio, bringing a significant investment for the region’ s business community that will create more jobs and opportunity in Coshocton County.”
The former Chacos Brothers building is in the heart of Coshocton’ s downtown. The Coshocton Port Authority moved its office into the renovated building and will work directly with private-sector businesses looking to utilize the space.
“ It has been such an honor to take the intricate historic details of this beautiful building and breathe new life into this space,” Swigert said.“ We acquired this building with the strategic intent of preserving the underlying asset, thereby enabling the future completion of the theater project. We recognize that this initiative will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and development, not only along Main Street, but throughout the entire county, as it will attract visitors and stimulate local activity.”
Local funding partners involved include the Coshocton
Submitted
Coshocton’ s history was merged with its future on May 8 with the grand opening of The Coshocton Collaborative at 538 Main St. Pictured are Doug Speicher, left, Paul Prater, Darrell Lee, Eric Exley, Todd Brown, Mary Ellen Given, Ashley Guthrie, Kyle Cramblett, Heather Rainwater, Leah Allen, Justin Lapp, Amy Crown, Bob Pell, Tiffany Swigert, Dane Shryock, Mark Mills, John Carey, Kristi Tanner, Chrissy Heron, Matt Abbott and Hannah Gallagher.
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It has been such an honor to take the intricate historic details of this beautiful building and breathe new life into this space.
Tiffany
”
Swigert, executive director of the Coshocton County Port Authority
Foundation and the Coshocton County Commissioners.
“ I can recall coming down here to buy peanuts and go to the theater,” said Commissioner Dane Shryock, who spoke on behalf of the board of commissioners.“ It is truly great to see this building transformed. Tiffany needed local buy-in dollars to show she had support for this project, and we were fortune to have that. Having relationships with other officials gets things done.”
The Coshocton Port Authority has had several partners supporting its vision for the Coshocton Collaborative. They are grateful for those partnerships that have included the Small Business Development Center at Kent State Tuscarawas, the Coshocton Chamber of Commerce, the City of Coshocton and others.
The project was supported by a JobsOhio Vibrant Community Grant of more than $ 750,000. The JobsOhio Vibrant Community Program offers competitive grants for development projects that help transform areas within a distressed community. Eligible projects include mixed-use projects, real estate development projects and operated shared spaces that meet the JobsOhio project criteria.
“ The Coshocton Collaborative was the first Vibrant Community project awarded in Southeast Ohio, and it is a wonderful example of a cata-
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