Orrville council hears detailed plan, timeline for Depot Park and downtown stage

Orrville City Council on April 7 heard a detailed presentation of the proposed Depot Park redevelopment, including plans for a raised performance stage, reconfigured parking, permanent food-truck hookups and streetscape work intended to complete concurrently with a nearby bike-trail project.

The project matters because the city has a $250,000 state capital-budget grant targeted to construction of an outdoor stage this year and the stage funding — and related site work — must be completed by Oct. 31, officials said. Council members pressed staff for firmer cost estimates and timeline certainty before advancing more work.

City staff outlined the project history and design: the site was identified in an earlier comprehensive plan update and a parks-and-recreation plan completed with consultant EDGE and CT in 2022. Public input and a 2024 grant award shaped the current design. Staff said the design will reconfigure the existing lot to combine vehicular parking with flexible event space, add a raised stage approximately 20 by 30 feet and about 2½ feet above the front lawn, and provide a plaza and benches around the existing restroom building. The presentation said the project will add roughly one net parking space and retain four accessible stalls (three van-accessible).

The city reported the geotechnical study shows clay soils at the site, so traditional green stormwater infiltration is not feasible; staff said they will pursue a "green-gray"…