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Greater Sandusky Partnership reports $219,000 in direct 2024 investment for Destination Sandusky
Summary
City staff and Greater Sandusky Partnership leaders gave commissioners a year-in-review of destination marketing, events and economic-development work and outlined plans for housing and workforce initiatives in 2025.
Eric Wibbs and Mackenzie Spriggs presented a 2024 summary for the Greater Sandusky Partnership (GSP) and Destination Sandusky, saying the organizations organized regional economic-development activities and direct visitor-marketing for Sandusky.
Spriggs, director of Destination Sandusky, told commissioners that $219,000 in direct investment went into Sandusky in 2024 for programming, placemaking and marketing; she said that $69,000 of private investment accompanied that city support. Spriggs said the partnership produced or supported 106 special events in 2024, including a seven-day restaurant week and 24 farmers markets; she cited the April 8 eclipse day, which she said drew 7,700 visitors, and Party at the Pier, which had 17,000 attendees.
Wibbs described GSP as a regional chamber of commerce and economic-development coalition that now includes the Erie County Chamber, Erie County Economic Development Corporation, Huron Chamber, Firelands Forward, RISE, the Erie County Port Authority, North Coast Young Professionals and Destination Sandusky. He said GSP is building a “flywheel” of quality-of-life, workforce and diversified-economy efforts and emphasized Sandusky’s role as the region’s largest city.
Wibbs and Spriggs outlined nonmarketing work as well: business retention, attraction, entrepreneurial programs and workforce partnerships with local schools and colleges. Wibbs said GSP-supported projects brought capital investment and state dollars: he cited $292 million in county-level capital investment and $1.3 million in JobsOhio incentives aided by GSP liaison work; he also described planning grants and a federal planning award to study a Sandusky Bay Pathway connection to Port Clinton.
Looking ahead, the presenters said GSP will step into housing production support in 2025 and pursue industry-sector workforce grants. Wibbs said GSP would aim to be “a bridge between developer and available land” and help local governments that control land-use decisions.
Commissioners thanked the presenters and asked about contract accounting; the city manager clarified that the $150,000 city contribution to Destination Sandusky and the $69,000 private investment were direct program dollars and did not include GSP staff or overhead costs.
