Chillicothe has officially reopened the park at the heart of its First Capital District, capping a two-year, $35 million transformation of Yoctangee Park. State and local leaders gathered in Chillicothe to celebrate the completion of the revitalization, with Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik touring the site, the Scioto Post reported.
The finished project adds a new outdoor amphitheater, a multipurpose pavilion, a new Diamond One baseball field, a skatepark, pickleball courts, renovated tennis courts, upgraded sidewalks and expanded green space, alongside extensive renovations to the historic Memorial Armory, according to the Scioto Post. The city celebrated with a ribbon-cutting at the amphitheater and pavilion and an open house at the Armory, with the Chillicothe Farmers Market holding its first day in the new pavilion on Saturday.
“As Ohio’s first capital and the home of four Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Chillicothe is truly one of Ohio’s most beloved cultural and historical treasures, and my administration was proud to invest in these transformational projects,” DeWine said, in remarks reported by the Scioto Post. “These improvements create new and improved public spaces where families can gather, neighbors can connect, and visitors can learn about what makes Chillicothe so special.”
The overhaul was financed through the Downtowns and Destinations Initiative, established in 2024 under the broader Appalachian Community Grant Program — a $500 million investment approved in 2022 by DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly to support development projects across Ohio’s 32 Appalachian counties, the Scioto Post reported. Ross County’s share of that program totaled about $45 million, including the $35 million for Chillicothe — an amount Mayor Luke Feeney noted at the program’s launch was larger than the city’s annual general fund.
The park’s new infrastructure reaches beyond recreation. Infrastructure work included a new roundabout at Mill Street and Yoctangee Parkway and rebuilds of surrounding streets, and Chillicothe City Council will now hold its sessions in the renovated Armory until a permanent home is found, starting with its Monday, November 9 meeting, the Chillicothe Gazette reported.
What happens next: council meets Monday night in its new Armory home, and a zoning open house is set for November 15 at the Armory on possible updates to city code prompted by the proposed data center at the paper mill, the Scioto Post reported. The park itself now moves from construction to programming — amphitheater events, market Saturdays in the pavilion and a full season of play on its new fields and courts.