The public must be involved in order for the city to successfully redevelop downtown, Community Development Director Jennifer Hanlon said.

“A plan doesn't work if it's just the city or a company's idea,” she said.

Therefore, the city will have an open house tonight to get the public's input on how to improve Boneyfiddle and the Chillicothe Street areas.

The open house will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Scioto County Welcome Center at 342 Second St.

“The public can give feedback on what they would like to happen,” Hanlon said. “We all talk about needing jobs, but that's pretty general. We need to be more specific. Like what do the people want the city to smell and taste like?”

Della Rucker from Edwards and Kelcey Engineering Company will meet with the public to discuss ideas.

That Cincinnati company is helping the city find ways to redevelop downtown. Its employees have been studying the city by compiling information and taking pictures of various locations.

“They don't just do cookie-cutter designs,” Hanlon said. “They work with historic towns like Portsmouth.”

The open house is the first step in the redevelopment and will be followed by a market analysis and a building inventory.

Funding will come from a $15,000 Ohio Department of Development grant and a $3,000 Scioto Foundation grant. The city is putting $24,000 into the study, Hanlon said.

The information will be given to a 15-member steering committee that is working with the city on downtown development. It is comprised of business owners, those who live downtown and other citizens.

That committee is different from the committee looking at various locations to build a new city building.

Hanlon said she hopes people will leave the open house with the belief a redevelopment plan can be formed.

Besides ODOD and the city, the Boneyfiddle Historic Preservation Society also is involved in the open house.