Wooster Mayor Bob Reynolds finishes first year in office
Among the projects in 2024 in Wooster was the completion of renovations at Fire Station No. 1, which reopened late in 2023 but was not completely done until early in the year.
Heading into his first term as mayor of Wooster, Bob Reynolds was clear on the most important issue facing the city: housing.
Now set to enter his second year of his inaugural term, Reynolds is still clear on the most important issue: housing.
Over the course of the year, little to nothing has changed in terms of the issue. Progress, though, has been made in the right direction.
“I hope for continued housing growth, that we continue this trend,” Reynolds said, adding there has been an increase in available housing but that there needs to be much more. “We’re seeing the demand. People want to live here. People from outside the community are looking to come here. Whether it’s in retirement or to get a job, businesses are doing very well. I hope that happens. It’s a cyclical thing. Employers only want to come here and do business here if they can find employees, and you need housing to do that.”
Reynolds said the area continues to fall victim to supply and demand. He said Wayne County is 2,000 housing units short of demand, a huge number representing approximately 5% of the overall demand for homes county-wide.
The demand is driven by a population that continues to increase, though the growth has slowed in recent years.
Reynolds said he will look in the coming year for some residential zoning code revisions. He hopes opportunities can be created to develop more nontraditional housing.
“Instead of traditional single-family homes, there could be more multi-family spaces,” he said. “They’re going to look at that throughout the city, but the biggest impact is in the older neighborhoods where we haven’t seen a lot of investment over the last couple decades, some different options for development in neighborhoods that could really use a shot in the arm.”
When Reynolds initially took over for Bob Brenneman in January, it was more a case of taking the baton and continuing the race. Reynolds made sure things kept running smoothly but did not want credit for things that were accomplished or finished in the new year.
Among them was the completion of renovations at Fire State No. 1, which reopened late in 2023 but was not completely done until early in the year.
“That was a big deal,” Reynolds said. “It was a big project for the city. It came out looking great. It’s something we could be proud of.”
He also pointed to the completion of roundabouts and improvements to Oak Hill and West Milltown roads.
“The intersections were bad,” he said, referring to the need for the roundabouts, which seem to be gaining acceptance. “But the roads themselves were bad too. The responses we’ve had so far since they’ve been opened up have been almost entirely positive. We feel like those things have helped out tremendously.”
Reynolds said more roundabouts are being considered. He said the next bad intersection that might get a face-lift is where Oldman Road meets Burbank Road and could include the Burbank-Winkler Drive convergence just a few feet away.
“We’re still in the design stages,” Reynolds said. “Hopefully, in 2025 it will go to council for approval. It probably won’t happen until ’26 or ’27, but we’re hopeful to move forward with that project. It’s never going to be cheaper. It’s never going to be less invasive or less of a nuisance to get the construction done.”
In other words there’s no time like the present.
Also underway and looking to be continued in 2025 is the renovation of the Christmas Run pool. That started this year, and Reynolds said the hope is the project will be complete by summer 2026.
Also on the agenda is what Reynolds referred to as the “Cornerstone situation,” revolving around the old elementary school on West Bowman Street. The city is not directly involved with the school, but if any new schools are built and Cornerstone is no longer needed — all this will depend on a bond issue that will appear on the May 6 ballot — the city would like to do something with the property.
“That will be a great opportunity to do something positive for the neighborhood or community,” said Reynolds, who added it will all depend on what the district wants to do with it. “We’re not pushing them to make a decision. We’re just there to help them if they do decide they’re done with that site.”
Among the possibilities are what the mayor compared to the renovation of the old Horn Nursing Home, which now hosts condominiums, and the Freedlander site, which was transformed into condos and retail space. Reynolds said the same type of undertaking could go on at the Cornerstone site.
Where all the projects are concerned, Reynolds raved about the contributions citywide from its various departments. The “it takes a village” mantra proved true throughout the year, be that government officials or citizens in general.
“First, a shoutout to the city’s employees,” he said. “They do a great job. The feedback I get is almost entirely good. A lot of people come away impressed by their level of customer service, and that’s always good to hear.
“The culture they’ve got going, it’s exactly what you want to hear. With all these agencies we have, it’s just a ton of people who are working very hard. Some are in high-profile positions, and some are out of sight, and they all help make this community a great one to live in.”