Zanesville begins 2026 with housing growth and park upgrades ahead

Zanesville plans multiple housing projects in 2026, including apartment additions and new subdivisions, while park renovations and the Secrest Auditorium overhaul continue with projected midyear milestones.

Zanesville is entering 2026 with a continued emphasis on housing development and park improvements after several goals were advanced in 2025. City leaders report apartment additions, reopened roads and parks, and property clearings that set the stage for new projects. Officials expect work on Secrest Auditorium and several housing complexes to reach milestones this year. Mayor Don Mason described housing and parks as complementary priorities for community growth. Key developments: - Secrest Auditorium is undergoing a $9 million overhaul that began in 2025 and is reported as expected to be completed in August, supported in part by a $6.5 million Appalachian community grant from 2024. - Housing activity includes a 40-unit addition at Kensington Village (expansion started December 2025), Woda Cooper’s Carol Crossing (a $13 million, 42-apartment project on pace for June completion), Munson Crossing and Zane Commons which added 87 apartments in 2025, and Leasure Farms planned to include 16 condos and 86 single-family homes on a 74-acre site. - New developments on the docket include the River Trace Master Development with its first subdivision Keegan Crossing, a previously unannounced project at Northpointe Drive and Military Road, and possible redevelopment of the former six-acre Blandy Reservoir site. - Park and recreation work is planned across the city: a $39,000 renovation for Cuddy Dixon (leveling, parking, ADA spaces, playground and amenities), Putnam Landing projects funded at about $750,000 through the Ohio Department of Health and ODNR’s AMLER program to add a boat launch and address flooding and aesthetics, and potential recreation design work at Confluence Park that could start in 2026. - Lock No. 10 Canal Park stewardship transferred to the Muskingum Valley Park District in October 2025, enabling a $1.2 million Appalachian community grant to add a paved trail to the Putnam Greenway, an overlook plaza with amphitheater-style seating, and a kayak dock with an accessibility ramp; that work is projected to start in spring and finish in fall. Summary: Zanesville’s 2026 agenda pairs new housing with upgraded public spaces, with several projects carrying midyear timelines and others moving into design or site-preparation phases. Some projects have defined funding and projected completion windows while plans for certain redevelopment sites and additional design work remain under consideration.