Mount Vernon prepares for a population boom
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A mural inside Founders Food Hall gives a nod to the historic nature of the building. Photos: Andrew King/Axios
Forty miles from downtown Columbus, the small city of Mount Vernon is preparing for regional growth that has yet to reach it.
Why it matters: As Central Ohio's exploding population reaches the suburbs, the region needs its next ring of communities to be ready, because they're next.
Zoom in: Mount Vernon is Knox County's seat and largest city, with a population around 17,000.
- That population has been steady for 15 years, but it's only a matter of time before that plateau starts to tick upward.
- The signs are there — Mayor Matt Starr says properties are "selling like hotcakes" and that the city's daytime population is around 30,000.
What they're doing: Mount Vernon is three years into a strategic plan for which the top-listed guiding principle is to foster an environment "supportive of business and economic growth."
- Meanwhile, it's building housing variety, attracting companies, building a new police station and working to attract retail and restaurants.
Earlier this summer, Mount Vernon unveiled Founders Food Hall, a new purpose for an 85-year-old, 13,000-square-foot downtown building that housed the Mount Vernon News before it was vacated in 2020.
- The project houses several food vendors, duckpin bowling, a bar, local business offices and facilities for Mount Vernon Nazarene University programs like engineering and robotics.
The intrigue: The multipurpose community space took more than local effort — it was supported by regional economic development organization One Columbus and JobsOhio.
- Uniting all entities: a broad sense that growth is on the horizon.
Knox County Land Bank president Sam Filkins spearheaded the project, while One Columbus helped make connections and secure funding.
- JobsOhio, known more for megadeals with Intel and Anduril than community projects, contributed a $1 million "Vibrant Communities" grant.
The big picture: One Columbus believes "some of the best opportunities for job creation" in Ohio are in rural areas, says president Jonas Peterson.
- "If you're going to achieve our ambitions for growth and prosperity, it's going to be bigger than just a metro area. It's going to include the whole region," he tells Axios.
The other side: Central Ohio is littered with examples of communities being reactive instead of proactive.
- Johnstown was thrown into chaos in the wake of unexpected growth near the Intel site.
- South Bloomfield, the fastest-growing community in all of Ohio, has one single sit-down restaurant and no health care providers.
- Communities across the region are struggling to create enough housing and school space.
Regional leaders are working to build "stronger communities" that are also more vibrant and diverse in their offerings, Peterson tells Axios.
- "We need communities of all shapes and sizes that can all win together. It's not just about a metro area — it's about strengthening rural communities, midsized communities, multiple industries. We compete on all fronts."
Looking to the future
One multi-use building can't prepare an entire community for growth — but it can set a tone.
Case in point: It's difficult to quantify how a well-known historic building sitting unused downtown can be a community vibe-killer.
- Even Filkins, the driving force behind the project, says he "couldn't see a future" for the space before the project started coming together.
What we're watching: Mount Vernon already has a job base, education, infrastructure and proximity to a major city.
- What it still lacks, local leaders believe, are more dining choices and a vibrant downtown with foot traffic.
- The food hall works toward improving both, adding a community space where people can meet and interact — the sense of gathering that every downtown wants.
- All of it stems from a sense of urgency created by the Intel project.
What they're saying: "As soon as Intel was announced, [Knox County Area Development Foundation] stakeholders, businesses and governments all got in a room and started thinking, 'What do we need to prepare for?'" Starr tells Axios.
- "We were asking these questions to get ahead of the curve so we weren't caught in the crosshairs like Johnstown was."
What's next: Local leaders feel they're on the precipice of a new era for Mount Vernon, and that's guiding their actions.
- "I'm less excited for myself than I am for my grandkids," Starr says. "I'm not making decisions for me."