I’ve lived in Columbiana, Ohio for the last 16 years. In that time I have seen the city grow from a ‘village’ that only had a couple pizza shops, banks, and gas stations to an up-and-coming community with unique dining choices, a revamped Main Street, and a general electricity in the air that is welcoming change and forward progress.

This town is quickly evolving from humble, frankly boring beginnings into an exciting place for those looking to settle down. There are also some great new amenities that are welcoming young college students, such as Generation’s Coffee, Birdfish Brewery, and Delightful Frozen Yogurt. Now along with these choices all located on Main Street, Columbiana is looking to welcome a brand new shopping complex located in the Firestone Farms housing development.

The complex isn’t fully complete, but it is currently welcoming new leases, with a handful of shops already open. These include a couple boutiques offering unique handmade items, a Stonefruit Espresso Bar, and a different fro-yo shop called Orange Leaf.

Now, if you know me, I have complained about Columbiana’s boring nature since I can remember. I still do. The city has a long way to go, but I have to admit that with this new construction I truly believe the former village is headed in the right direction.

Driving past the new shopping center, you’ll immediately be pulled in with its enormous curb appeal. It looks like a complex you’d see in Columbus of Cleveland. Its entire brick exterior and newly constructed townhouse-style buildings transport you away from the bland and boring feel that dominates most of Columbiana’s city design to a fresh, modern, and generally exciting atmosphere. This complex welcomes change, both on a physical and metaphorical level.

Fresh asphalt and newly-paved roads in and around the complex make parking easy, and they welcome anyone to stop by at the corner of 7 and 14. Following the street from Route 7 around the complex will reveal even more available shop locations around the back of the shopping center, complimenting the large amount of storefronts already in the front of the complex. You will also find a large, beautiful fountain fixture around back, adorned with a giant clocktower and surrounded by multiple tulip gardens.

There is also a giant chess and checker set to play on the brick walkways.

My sister and I tried Orange Leaf the other day. Aside from it being incredibly tasty and a much more convenient option than Menchie’s in Boardman, I realized something while her and I sat at one of the many snack tables outside the shop. This is exactly what a city like Columbiana needs.

These types of amenities - shopping options that aren’t Rite Aide or Sparkle - will attract a wave of people to the city. This is the kind of project to make people want to go to Columbiana and shop local. I am genuinely excited to see what this complex has to offer in the future.

That being said, the project isn’t complete, and only has a handful of leases currently. Plus, it will take a lot more than fro-yo to convince someone like me to stay around a small town like this much longer. And I do wish that something like this would have come into fruition many, many years ago. But better late than never, right?

For those looking to settle down or just go out for a day ‘on the town’, the Firestone Farms Shopping Complex has an immense amount to potential. This represents growth, change, prosperity, and most of all, movement. Movement towards the future of what this small town has to offer, and what Columbiana can become. No longer stuck in the past, no longer hindered by simple gas stations and banks. The future is bright for this former village.