There's no denying The Highlands has brought much-needed jobs and economic development to Ohio County. But is the hilltop development living up to its full potential?
That's a question currently being pondered by members of the Ohio County Development Authority after Washington County, Pa. resident Michael Takacs addressed them Monday over what he sees as a lack of an identity at the hilltop site.
"For the longest time, we would just say we were going to Cabela's," Takacs, a landscape architect who works in Pittsburgh, said of his visits to The Highlands. "I'll be honest ... until the summer I didn't know it was called The Highlands."
That's a common problem even among local residents -- thinking of The Highlands only as Cabela's. There's no arguing that Cabela's continues to be the major draw there, but there is much more to the site.
Takacs told authority members that, in his opinion, the solution to this problem is simple: better branding of The Highlands on Interstate 70 and a consistent color scheme for the buildings.
He referenced the Easton Town Center in Columbus as an example of what the authority should consider for The Highlands. There, bridges over the highway highlight the development, and it has a consistent theme throughout. The major branding for The Highlands is on the giant water tower at the site, with not much else to promote the name.
Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to notice the obvious, as Takacs is absolutely right in his assessment of the development. What started as Cabela's 10th retail store and a distribution center in 2004 quickly blossomed into a major retail site that, to this day, feels unplanned and lacking an identity. There are few sidewalks, transportation between businesses is done primarily by car and signs promoting businesses generally are yard signs stuck on empty lots.
For The Highlands to flourish moving ahead, that needs to change.
We urge development authority members to take Takacs' suggestions seriously and find ways to better brand The Highlands. And we thank Takacs for taking the initiative to address the matter.