Special Weather Statement issued March 19 at 4:28AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
Gusty winds from 35 to 40 mph this afternoon could blow around unsecured items. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor items.
Special Weather Statement issued March 19 at 4:15AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
Gusty winds from 35 to 40 mph this afternoon could blow around unsecured items. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor items.
Today 37° Today 37° chance 25° 25° scattered Tomorrow 52° Tomorrow 52° 33° 33°
Friday, August 29th, 2014

Marshalls store coming to Celina

By Doug Drexler
CELINA - Marshalls, which offers name-brand items at discount prices, plans to open a new store in the city next spring.
The long-rumored move was officially made public Thursday when developer RG Properties applied for a zoning permit to build the 21,000-square-foot store in Harbor Square near the Bob Evans restaurant.
RG Properties President Bo Gunlock said his company plans to break ground on the $2.1 million venture when all the permits are completed and contractors are chosen. Local contractors have been invited to bid on the project, he said.
Marshalls wants the building completed by Feb. 1 to allow for an April 1 opening, Gunlock said.
Marshalls has more than 900 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. The closest shops to the local area are in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Huber Heights. The company sells fashion clothing, footwear, accessories and home decor at discounts up to 60 percent, according to its website.
"We're very pleased Marshalls will be coming. We think it will be a great addition," Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel said. "It's a great addition to the Celina area and greatly enhances the Havemann Road area."
The store will turn the Mercer-Auglaize county area into more of a destination for shopping and tourism, the mayor said.
"Anything that happens in Celina, it's a ripple effect," he said.
People who shop at Marshalls may also stop to dine or spend a night in the area, Hazel said. They also may spend time checking out other local shops and retailers, he added.
"It's another reason to let people know Celina is a destination in and of itself," he said.
City officials have been working for two years to bring the project to fruition, he explained.
"These certainly do not happen overnight," Hazel said. "It takes awhile to go through."
Marshalls looked extensively at local demographics and economic vitality in the area before committing to Celina, he said.
"Commercial and retail development are finding us because there's a strong economic development core here," Mercer County Community Development Director Jared Ebbing said. "They want to find regions like here because we've got good things going on here. Kudos to the city of Celina and what they've done.
"What's good for us is good for the neighboring communities," he added.
Ebbing said he hopes Marshalls, along with Kroger, Kohl's and Menards, will turn the area into a regional draw and convince people to stay and shop in the Celina-St. Marys area rather than traveling to Lima or Muncie, Ind.
"It can be a destination," he said. "If people drive here and stay here, that's good for the region."
He agreed that bigger stores such as Marshalls and Kohl's help draw customers to smaller, local shops and businesses.
He doesn't think the bigger stores will harm the existing ones in the area. People may first check out Marshalls and then visit other stores if they don't find exactly what they want, Ebbing said.
"The more that's here will help our smaller stores," he added.   
To help lure the store to the area, Celina City Schools Board of Education members in March approved a 12-year, 100 percent tax abatement for the proposed $2.1 million project. RG Properties must continue to pay taxes on the land, per the agreement.
Marshalls is expected to create the equivalent of 40 full-time jobs.
The new store will be comparable in size to others the company operates, officials said. It will be substantially larger than the 17,440 square feet of retail space occupied by the seven shops bordering the Walmart Supercenter.
A proposed second store adjacent to Marshalls was dropped from initial plans but may be added later, Gunlock said. Negotiations with a tenant for the planned 5,500-square-foot building were moving slowly and Marshalls was anxious to move in, he said.
Additional online story on this date
NEW BREMEN - It wasn't a thing of beauty, but New Bremen coach Theresa Jenkins understands that when it comes to Midwest Athletic Conference victorie [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
CELINA - Mercer County officials are seeking public input before applying for a $480,000 grant to replace aging water lines near Grand Lake's north shore.
Dozens of great egrets spotted; many other travelers will be coming
MONTEZUMA - Residents of a subdivision near Grand Lake have been treated in recent days to sightings of dozens of great egrets.
Similar to great bl
Accused of attempted voyeurism, obstructing official business
ST. HENRY - A local man this morning pleaded not guilty in court to attempted voyeurism and obstructing official business after allegedly placing a camera in a restroom at his business.
From staff reports
COLDWATER - Police early Thursday morning arrested a 19-year-old man who allegedly was stealing items from unlocked vehicles in the community.
MARIA STEIN - Megan Campbell could be excused for being a little nervous on Thursday night as the first-year Marion Local volleyball coach guided her team into her first-ever Midwest Athletic Conference match, which happened to be against her alma mater Versailles.
CELINA - Once the Celina boys soccer team put its foot on the gas Thursday night, they didn't let up.
The Bulldogs scored four first-half goals and added a couple more in the second as they opened Western Buckeye League play with a 6-0 victory over Bath at the soccer stadium.
COLDWATER – The Coldwater volleyball team used a stellar defensive effort to overcome a sluggish start and beat Parkway in their Midwest Athletic Conference opener.
Compiled by Colin Foster and Gary R. Rasberry
Celina improved to 2-1 in Western Buckeye League girls tennis action with a 5-0 shutout of Elida on Thursday at the Booster Club Tennis Complex.