If you do business on or near North Bridge Street, you don't need anyone to tell you it's been a hard stretch. You're living it. The detours, the reduced foot traffic, the customers who mean well but just haven't made the trip lately — it adds up, and the numbers are telling that story in ways that are hard to ignore.

We hear you. And we want you to know the Chamber is not sitting on the sidelines.

Over the past few weeks, we've been listening to what Bridge Street merchants are experiencing and working behind the scenes to put together a coordinated response. What's coming is not a collection of vague promises or a one-time social media push. We're building a real plan, and we want you involved in shaping it.

Here's where we're starting.

• In the coming weeks, we're going to bring all North Bridge Street merchants together in one room. No agenda built in a vacuum, no solutions handed down from on high. Just an honest conversation about what's working, what isn't, and what kind of support would actually move the needle for your business. You know your situation better than anyone, and this plan only works if it's built with you, not around you.
• At the same time, we're already in conversations with funding partners — including the SBA and other small business resource organizations — to explore whether we can establish a pool of relief resources for affected businesses. Think bridge grants, low-interest lending options, and direct financial assistance to help cover operating costs and retain staff while construction runs its course. We've done this kind of coordinated response before, and we know how to navigate these conversations.
• On the marketing and visibility front, we're developing a community-wide campaign to drive consumers back to the corridor, keep your businesses front and center in local media, and make sure Chillicothe knows you are open, accessible, and worth the extra few minutes it might take to get there right now.

This is exactly what the Chamber exists to do — to stand with our investors when the road gets hard, connect them to resources, and advocate loudly on their behalf. Consider this your notice that we are doing all three.

And, if you are along High Street or anywhere else suffering from the construction-related impact these days, consider yourself part of the discussion as well. Our Bridge Street plan will be scalable.

More details are coming soon. In the meantime, if you're a North Bridge Street business owner and you want to be part of the planning conversation, reach out to me directly. My door is open.

Thanks,

Mike Throne

President & CEO, Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce

mthrone@chillicotheohio.com | 740-702-2722