Info About the Galion Ohio Housing Situation

I spent a lot of time thinking about the housing situation in Galion, Ohio last night after watching Mayor O'Leary's Facebook Live video. In the video footage, he mentioned the city has been struggling with a housing shortage, including a lack of places to rent and to buy. So, curiosity got to me, and I decided to approach my questions from the perspective of a person 'shopping' for an apartment to rent or house to buy in Galion, Ohio.

Unlocking the Housing Puzzle in Galion, Ohio

Apartments for Rent in Galion, Ohio

I found several apartment buildings advertising vacancies, but note that a couple were on different sites marked as full. These don't even touch on private landlord apartment listings in Galion:

• Cedargate Apartments
• Libby Lane
• Trachsel Place
• Buckeye Arms Apartments
• Moccasin Run 
• Galion East Apartments
• Hyatt Apartments

Houses for Rent in Galion, Ohio

A quick search online didn't yield as many results as the apartments search. This is most likely because apartment complexes list with websites to promote their facilities where a private landlord wouldn't do that. And, since I kept my research brief to provide a quick overview, I didn't browse through Facebook rental groups, newspaper websites, and online garage sales where rentals are typically listed. I DID find numerous rent-to-own houses in my quick search. 

Homes for Sale in Galion, Ohio

The first site that came up when I entered 'houses for sale in Galion, Ohio' in my search bar had 88 homes listed. Rather than going to more sites, I spent the rest of my ten minutes research time for this category going through prices and looking at pictures of the homes available. Prices are all over the place, with some as low as $12,160 and ranging up to well over $300,000 - which is great news for potential buyers because that means there are homes available in Galion to fit almost any budget - and that's just on one website - with no in-depth research required to find them.

I decided, before starting this research, to keep it basic, with ten minutes tops spent looking for each type of housing in Galion. This was because I feel ten minutes provides the kind of overview someone from outside of town might want if considering moving here for the first time. So, I would love to hear some feedback from you, if you feel like it, describing your experience with finding housing in Galion, Ohio. Have you found it hard to find a place or do you feel there are plenty of housing options available in Galion?

By: Ré

Summary of January 2, 2018 Facebook Live Session With Galion Ohio's Mayor O'Leary

Galion, Ohio's Mayor O'Leary answered questions and shared information about the city tonight, January 2, 2018, in a Facebook Live session. I wanted to summarize the topics covered and briefly detail his responses to questions here for my readers who don't "do" Facebook.

Galion Municipal Building image By Galionuser (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Topics Covered at January 2, 2018 Facebook Live Session With Galion Ohio's Mayor O'Leary

A lot of topics were packed into a brief presentation by the Mayor tonight. Topics (not in order)  include:

• Rental housing and real estate market in Galion
• Getting a stop light at Bryant (Brandt?) Road - (I think Bryant was a typo from the original poster - because the reply focused on the Brandt Road intersection of State Route 598)
• Getting a Cracker Barrel
• The City of Galion and its RITA Municipality
• Getting jobs in Galion
• Grocery stores in Galion
• Downtown revitalization in Galion
• Galion's road conditions - specifically Libby Lane

Summary of Mayor O'Leary's Responses on Facebook Live January 2, 2018

I replayed the video a couple times to make sure I accurately explain Mayor O'Leary's replies to questions. Read on to get the details.

• Housing: The Mayor noted that housing is in short supply in Galion and that one of the city's longer term goals is making an effort to close the gap in housing and create new housing in the city. He noted that many people have bought or built outside the city because of the lack of housing in the city.
• (Not to be difficult or disagreeable, but I personally find this a little hard to believe and would like to see some numbers or some kind of factual backing on this particular claim - people generally move outside the city for quality of life reasons - PLUS - I drove through town just today and saw three houses for sale in one short stretch of road. 3 empty houses for sale in 1/4 of a city block is a lot! And, it's been like that all over town for a few years - empty houses everywhere. It's just a little hard to believe that anyone would move outside of town because they couldn't find a house  to buy or rent if they looked at all. That's just doesn't make sense... it's not... logical.)
• Cracker Barrel: Nope... There have been no inquiries from Cracker Barrel.
• (Darn... that would have been nice.) 
• Grocery Stores: Geyer's is staying and hoping to extend commitment. No other grocery stores have contacted the city. Grocery stores - independents and small chain grocers have been contacted, though larger stores like Giant Eagle are unlikely to consider a small community like Galion, according to the Mayor. He suggests supporting the local stores that sell groceries, like Geyer's, Save-a-Lot, and Dollar General.
• (I would add Drug Mart to that list. Their quality is top notch and their workers are friendly and helpful.)
• Update on stoplight at Brandt Road: A private developer acquired the old Peco building and wants annexation so the city can put in a traffic light. So, they're trying to annex half of the intersection into the city so they can put a light out there. This will create an area that opens room for three or four more industries at the old Peco site. 
• Downtown Revitalization: is underway, with applications coming in. Current focus is on funding code enforcement and aesthetic improvements.
• Getting Rid of RITA: Nope... it's staying.
• (I linked the RITA website above, so if you aren't familiar with it, you can check it out.) 
• Are Roads Going to Get Fixed - specifically Libby Lane? No. Libby Lane has private streets and it's the managements responsibility to fix it.
• (No response was offered by Mayor O'Leary in regards to fixing other streets in the city.)
• Being a Good Neighbor: Check on neighbors or call the city if you're concerned about not seeing neighbors, and look out for those around you who may be in need.

(Here's a link to the recorded Facebook video feed for anyone who missed the chance to watch this live, too - but it'll only play on Facebook - so I apologize in advance if it won't play for you if you aren't a Facebooker.)

By: Ré

Fun Benefits of the Galion Center YMCA

The Galion YMCA has been serving the Galion, Ohio community since it started in 1957, and the benefits of the facility have expanded over the years. So, there are a lot of things to do and enjoy at today's Galion Center YMCA.

Benefits of the Galion Center YMCA

Things to Do at the Galion Center YMCA

The Galion Community Center YMCA offers a variety of things for kids and adults to enjoy.

Adult offerings at the Center Y include Silver Sneakers programs, volleyball, basketball, and aquatics. Some options include taking classes, lifting weights, participating in walking programs, and spending time in the pool or Jacuzzi.

Youth offerings at the Galion YMCA include swimming, soccer, basketball, cross country tennis, and track & field.

Child care, before & after school care, and summer day camp are also part of the Community Center's offerings.

As a kid (more than a few years ago) I attended summer day camp at the Galion YMCA, and while I can't attest to what it's like for kids today - back then - it was a blast. 

Brief History of the Galion Center YMCA

The YMCA moved from its original location at the National Guard Armory to its Gill Avenue location in 1966. 

In the sixties, people working at local businesses like north Electric contributed to a fund to help build the Gill Avenue facility with the understanding that no child would ever be turned away from using the facility if they couldn't pay.

(Thanks to my mother and her friends for the local history lesson  - in stories shared with me over dinner.) 

The Gill Avenue facility of the YMCA was completed in 1966, according to the Center Y's website.

More renovations began in the seventies, and over the years several other additions have expanded the offerings of the Galion Community Center YMCA.

These additions increased the Y's ability to provide the youth and adults of Galion with things to do and ways to be healthier.

By: Ré