The Garrettsville Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that construction of the Buckeye Block Amphitheater will officially begin by the end of July 2025.
This milestone marks a major step forward in the revitalization of downtown Garrettsville, with The Pattie Group providing professional landscaping and hardscaping, and Hummel Construction building a 32-foot by 28-foot stage and band shell. Once complete, the space will host a variety of entertainment and community events beginning in 2026, breathing new life into the heart of our village. Construction is expected to be 100% complete by December 2025.
The road to rebuilding began in earnest in September 2022, when the Chamber worked with Michael Maschek to acquire his share of the Buckeye Block. That land purchase, funded through the Chamber’s general fund—not the GarrettsvilleStrong fund—paved the way for this transformative community investment.
In December 2022, The Pattie Group generously donated design services, creating visual plans for a park-like public space centered around an all-season amphitheater. Phase I, completed in spring 2023, included a wrought iron and brick entryway and the planting of mature trees. This early phase was funded through the Chamber’s allocated share of the GarrettsvilleStrong fund.
Given recent public questions, we want to offer full transparency about the GarrettsvilleStrong fund. This fund was created by the Chamber in the aftermath of the March 22, 2014 fire that destroyed much of the downtown block. Its purpose has always been to aid the rebuilding of properties along Main Street between Center and High Streets. The fund is governed by Chamber bylaws that ensure fairness, transparency, and that any board member with a conflict of interest recuses themselves from decisions regarding disbursement.
To date, $96,066 has been raised through donations and interest. An initial allocation of $50,000 was divided among the property owners based on lot size, and a secondary allocation of $46,066 is available but has not yet been requested by the owners. As of now, only $18,972.96 of the original allocation has been disbursed.
Here is a current breakdown of the GarrettsvilleStrong allocation status by property owner:
Garrettsville Area Chamber (Buckeye Block): $29,899.00 available
Carlson (Weingart property): $22,556.30 available
Steele Family: $21,153.73 available
Threaded Barrel (Brick building): $3,484.01 available
To clarify: these funds remain available for property owners to apply for, and have not been repurposed or spent outside of the rebuilding effort. The Chamber’s investment in the Buckeye Block Amphitheater is distinct from the GarrettsvilleStrong fund unless explicitly noted, as was the case with Phase I.
We look forward to celebrating the next stage of life for this cherished part of Garrettsville and hope the amphitheater’s construction inspires additional progress on the other fire-affected lots.
Thank you for your continued support as we build a brighter, stronger downtown—together.