Mayor Laurie Jadwin interviewed Amanda Morris, co‑owner of Mug and Brush Barbershop, about the future of Gahanna’s Creekside district and a proposed mixed‑use development.

Morris, whose shop at 153 North High Street has been in Creekside for about seven to eight years, said she welcomed the city’s planning efforts and saw the proposal as a way to "bring people" and "bring apartments" that could add the variety of shops and restaurants residents say they want. "We are going to bring people. We are going to bring apartments," Morris said, describing the plan at a "30,000‑foot" level as a broad framework rather than a final design.

The interview focused on how to translate that plan into everyday foot traffic for existing businesses. Morris said Mug and Brush benefits from regular, neighborhood clients and from partnerships with local artists who display and sell work in the shop. She described Creekside as a "personal" area that has strong community ties but also a number of underused properties and slow development.

Morris warned that existing small businesses face two main risks if the project proceeds without safeguards: construction and large new competitors could reduce visibility and customer access for long‑standing local shops. "Businesses who have persevered through the times where it's a little more quiet… might be kind of shoved aside in favor of some of the larger businesses," she said, adding that some owners worry customers may find it harder to reach them during and after redevelopment.

Mayor Jadwin asked about traffic and parking, two recurring public concerns. Morris said increasing residents and amenities could improve patronage but that the city should monitor access and visibility for current merchants so they are not displaced. The mayor noted the importance of communication between city staff and residents as the project advances.

Both speakers contrasted Creekside with larger regional shopping centers, with Morris saying destinations such as Easton draw people now because they concentrate restaurants, shops and family attractions. She argued Creekside will need a mix of offerings — not just events — to create sustained visitation: "You have to saturate that area… with people and families and people who wanna go to these businesses."

The interview concluded with a call to visit local businesses and support neighborhood merchants during planning and construction. Jadwin encouraged listeners to see the shop’s rotating art displays and to engage with city planning as Creekside’s proposals move forward.