Community of Hillsboro Celebrates Opening of the Hillsboro Business Complex

The Hillsboro Business Complex, a revitalization project designed to foster small business growth and economic development in uptown Hillsboro, celebrated its opening on March 4, 2024. The Hillsboro Business Complex owners and tenants, in partnership with the State of Ohio, JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE), the City of Hillsboro, Hillsboro Community Economic Development, and the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, held a ribbon-cutting celebration and led tours of the newly renovated buildings.

Over $1 million was invested to redevelop the three adjacent buildings in the historic section of uptown Hillsboro. The new facility includes renovated office space on the ground floor and new co-working/shared workspace on the second floor of all three buildings.

“The revitalization of these three buildings in historic Hillsboro will bring new development and growth,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “I believe that the Hillsboro Business Complex can be transformative for Hillsboro and Highland County.”

The celebration was hosted by the City of Hillsboro in partnership with the Hillsboro Business Complex and attended by Governor Mike DeWine, JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef, OhioSE Vice President Katy Farber, Senator Shane Wilkin, Representative Bob Peterson, Mayor Justin Harsha, and other community stakeholders.

“The Hillsboro Business Complex is a great example of how local business owners and community leaders are working together to bring energy and investment back to their downtowns,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “The opening of the Hillsboro Business Complex establishes a center of activity for the Hillsboro community and will act as a catalyst to attract more business and tourism for the area.”

The Hillsboro Business Complex is the result of strong, local partnerships and a vision for revitalization in the community. The mixed-use project totals over 7,000 square feet spanning the three buildings. The completed facility now houses the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, the Highland County Visitors Bureau, the Hapner Law Office, the Bell City School of Music, and The Hive.

Local partners involved include Grow Highland County, The Ohio State University Business Development Center, the Highland County Economic Development Department, the Highland County Workforce Leadership Council, and the Highland/Fayette/Clinton Safety Council.

“The Vibrant Communities support we received from JobsOhio, OhioSE and First State Bank, helped accelerate the completion of this project,” said Hillsboro Business Complex owner Dale Martin. “We are happy to have been able to accomplish such a transformational project for Hillsboro. Our hope is that this project will serve as a catalyst for additional growth in our community. This project serves as a great example of the power of local collaboration.”

The Hillsboro Business Complex is a truly transformational project for the community of Hillsboro. A hub for entrepreneurship and collaborative working, the project will hopefully spur additional momentum and investment.

"We extend our gratitude to developers like Dale Martin for their visionary leadership in revitalizing our city with projects like the Hillsboro Business Complex. Their commitment not only supports business growth but also brings a vibrant culture of progress and prosperity within our city,” said Hillsboro Mayor, Justin Harsha.

The project was supported by a JobsOhio Vibrant Community grant of over $400,000. The JobsOhio Vibrant Community Program offers competitive grants for development projects that help transform areas within a distressed community. Eligible projects include mixed-use projects, real estate development projects, and operated shared spaces, that meet the JobsOhio project criteria.

“The Hillsboro Business Complex is a wonderful example of a catalytic development project,” said Katy Farber, Vice President of OhioSE. “This revitalization project blended the community’s redevelopment plan with local investment to bring new mixed workspace and capacity to uptown Hillsboro. We look forward to seeing this complex thrive as a community hub and the injection of energy it brings to uptown.”