Twinsburg Square Has a New Design Plan. Here's What's Real and What's Still a Sketch.

"I wish these banks and convenience stores would go away downtown. More coffee shops, boutiques, bars, etc. There's nothing to do downtown, just sit on a bench in the park." That comment is one of the public responses the City of Twinsburg printed at the back of its new Streetscape Design Guidelines. The city's March 2026 survey drew 533 responses, and the finished document is now the official picture of what downtown is supposed to become.

The plan itself doesn't pay for a single sidewalk. Right now, the change you can actually see on the Square is coming from a different source. A façade grant that only owners of buildings next to the Square can use is already at work, and the former bank building is the first to use it.

What the August vote did, and what it didn't

On August 17, 2026, the Twinsburg Planning Commission reviewed the guidelines, took more public comment and voted unanimously to recommend approval. The document was put together over about a year with the consulting firm Environmental Design Group. It covers parts of East Aurora Road, which is SR 82, Darrow Road, which is SR 91, plus Church Street and Ravenna Road.

The city has been direct about the limits. On its Together Twinsburg project page, it says the guidelines "will not increase taxes or approve funding for any specific project," and that any improvements would go through the regular budget process.

The Planning Commission minutes lay out the order of steps. City Planner Lynn Muter explained that after Planning Commission approval, the guidelines go to City Council with a request to put some elements into the zoning code. After that comes the zoning code amendment itself. The published Council agendas for August 25, September 8 and September 22 don't list the guidelines. Neither does the agenda for the meeting on October 13.

So the document lays out a direction. Nothing in it is scheduled for construction yet.

What the document actually draws

The guidelines get more specific than most downtown plans. Here is what they call for:

• Crosswalks: At a stakeholder session, the painted crosswalk now at the Square drew only negative votes. The notes say it "provides limited visibility for drivers," and stamped or colored concrete was the option people preferred.
• Benches, trash cans and bike racks: Traditional metal benches and trash cans won, and the notes say modern, wood and colored styles were "generally not well received." For bike racks, a traditional multi-U design got the votes.
• Plantings: In-ground beds got the most votes of any element on the boards, followed by planters, then hanging baskets and trees.
• Sidewalks: Throughout Church Street Commons, the document calls for a continuous walkway at least 5 feet wide that meets ADA rules. It encourages wider sidewalks near Twinsburg Square, buildings and event spaces to make room for outdoor seating.

The most ambitious idea is Church Street Commons. The guidelines suggest studying whether Church Street could become one-way. Freeing up a lane would make room for wider sidewalks and plantings. It would also let the street close temporarily and work as a "Festival Alley" for farmers markets, food truck gatherings or seasonal pop-up markets. The appendix also maps possible future roundabouts along Darrow Road. Their center islands could hold public art or Twinsburg signage.

Planning commissioners were careful about both ideas. The minutes record that the roundabouts and Church Street Commons are still concepts. Both would need traffic, safety, feasibility, funding and regulatory review, including work with ODOT, before anything happens.

The edges of the Square belong to someone else

Land is as hard a limit as funding. The appendix says that along East Aurora Road, Church Street and Ravenna Road, the strip of public right-of-way is too narrow for wider sidewalks, street trees and lighting. Fixing that could mean buying land, getting easements or working out agreements with neighboring property owners over time.

One resident on the project page urged the city to buy property around the Square, saying it had "basically, remained the same since early 70's." The city's answer was plain. The properties are privately owned, several owners have been asked about selling, and "the City cannot require them to sell." In a separate reply, the city said it "cannot require private property owners to update their buildings."

Making improvements cheaper for owners is one tool that doesn't wait on Council, zoning changes or ODOT.

The grant that's already working

In 2026, the Twinsburg Community Improvement Corporation created a façade improvement grant. The city says the goal is to attract small retailers, restaurants and coffee shops to the Square. The CIC's program page sets tight limits. Only commercial properties directly next to Township Square qualify. Nonprofit and residential properties don't. The money covers exterior work that can be seen from the public right-of-way.

The formula in the grant application works like this:

Under that formula, a $100,000 façade project would get a $50,000 grant. A $300,000 project would get $112,500. Applicants also have to show they have enough money to cover their share.

According to the city, the former bank building on the Square was recently bought, and the new owner is using the grant. "You may have noticed the sign in the window." The city hasn't named the buyer. NEOhio.news reported in July that a co-working space is planned for the recently sold bank building. The city says every property owner along the Square has been told about the program and one is taking part now.

The city has a specific kind of tenant in mind, and one is already nearby. Heritage Coffee opened its second location on July 30 at 9224 Darrow Road, in the space that used to be Old Joe Coffee, as NEOhio.news reported. The Akron Beacon Journal photographed the shop open for business in early August.

Where each piece stands as of October 2026

The Finance Committee agenda for September 22 included recommendations from the 2027 Capital Improvement Board, but the agenda doesn't show the project list, and no downtown streetscape project or funding amount appears in the published records.

What residents pushed back on

The project page's question-and-answer section shows where people still have doubts. One concern is accessible parking on Church Street. The city said a striped space wouldn't be enough without a curb cut or ramp connecting it to the sidewalk. It also said the Township owns that stretch of sidewalk, and the city has asked its Engineering Department to look into it with the Township.

Another resident asked how new materials would hold up through freeze and thaw. The city said the guidelines aren't construction documents, so exact materials would be picked during design for each project. It added that snow removal and ice treatment have to be planned "in January, not just July." One survey comment asked the city not to use stamped colored concrete at all, saying it "fades and crumbles." That puts it at odds with the crosswalk material stakeholders preferred.

Roundabouts drew the most procedural pushback. A resident asked why stakeholders were asked about them before residents were. The city said the December stakeholder meeting was an early brainstorming session, and that it kept roundabouts in the public draft so the wider community could weigh in. At that same stakeholder session, traffic calming as a category got zero votes. The lighting and landscaping boards each got five.

The crosswalks, benches and Festival Alley in the guidelines still need Council action, budget decisions and, for the bigger ideas, ODOT review. The façade grant needs an eligible owner next to the Square who can cover their share of the cost.

If you own property on or near the Square, or you're wondering how projects like this play into what nearby homes are worth, we're glad to walk through it with you calmly and specifically. Contact Tiffany Scavone for local guidance. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.