A 123-acre park along the East Fork of Mill Creek is getting a quarter-million-dollar investment from the state of Ohio.
West Chester Township's Keehner Park has been awarded $250,000 in state capital funding for master planning and improvements, the Journal-News reported July 16. The grant was secured with the assistance of Ohio Sen. George Lang, a former West Chester Township trustee.
The funding comes from Ohio's $3.7 billion state capital budget (Senate Bill 450), which supports community development, parks and infrastructure statewide, according to the Ohio Senate.
A half-century of community use
The timing is fitting. Keehner Park turns 50 in 2026.
Voters approved the purchase of the property in 1976, using Ohio Department of Natural Resources funding to buy the 123-acre tract from John S. and Hilda B. Keehner for $235,000. The park is named after the farming family that worked the land in West Chester Township's early days.
The park, at 7411 Barret Road in West Chester, features wooded creekside trails, an amphitheater and performance stage, an 1833 log cabin relocated from Preble County in 1990 and athletic fields and courts. It hosts the West Chester Concert Series, Shakespeare in the Park, and the First Sunday Acoustic Jam.
What's next
The grant covers "master planning and improvements," but no timeline or specific project list has been announced. The park sits just west of Mason's city limits.
Residents who use Keehner Park can expect more details as West Chester Township moves forward with the planning process funded by the grant.
Upcoming community events
Tuesday, July 28 — Cincinnati POPS Orchestra concert and drone show at Cottell Park, 5847 Irwin Simpson Road, Mason. Gates open at 7:30 p.m.; concert begins at 8:05 p.m. Conductor John Morris Russell leads the full-length performance. Presented by Deerfield Township in partnership with The Arts Alliance. Free. Bring blankets and lawn chairs.
Wednesdays through September — Sounds of Deerfield Acoustic Nights, 7–9 p.m., District at Deerfield Park. Free.
