Downtown News

What's happening around the square.

Little Arrows Opens Downtown.

Little Arrows Play Cafe, which initially expected to open during last year’s holiday season, finally opened Friday in a multi-use downtown development on West Church Street. The Marne United Methodist Church project took many months of volunteer work to finish construction on the interior of space at 29 West Church St., accessible from the Newark…

Moe’s BBQ Opens Downtown

It’s taken longer than expected, but Moe’s Original Bar B Que officially joins the West Church Street revitalization effort when it opens on Tuesday. The restaurant at 21 W. Church St., part of Tom Atha’s Thirty-One West development, will have a different look than the Moe’s restaurant in Granville, including sculptures by artist Jason Antol….

Construction Nears Midpoint

Downtown construction on the south side of the Licking County Courthouse Square is entering the home stretch, while the north side prepares for its experience dealing with torn up roads and sidewalks and underground utility work. But the timetable for completion of the overall project is shifting from November 2017 to early 2018. Meanwhile, paving will begin next…

Barrel and Boar Opens Downtown

For Alex Athan, his new downtown Newark restaurant is like coming home. Athan and his business partner Stan Riley opened Barrel and Boar at 5 N. Third St. on Tuesday, just around the corner from where Athan’s old family-owned restaurant, The Natoma, was located for 88 years before it closed in 2010. He said he never envisioned coming back…

Canal Market Dedication Ceremony

NEWARK – When the event page for the Canal Market District’s dedication ceremony went live, organizers were hoping the May 27 event would create some buzz. But they were stunned when after 48 hours, 320 people were already planning to attend. Over the past few weeks, that number has climbed to close to 450. More than 1,500 additional people…

Argyle Debuts Market District Lofts

NEWARK – Seven months of construction, two years of planning and nearly seven years of dreaming later, Liz Argyle can finally open the doors to her four loft apartments. From the day she bought the space for her photography studio, Argyle always knew she wanted to transform the vast, open space above the studio into…

First Round-a-bout opens

NEWARK – The first roundabout opened in Newark on Wednesday, marking the end of the second phase of the downtown utility improvement project. Located at South Park Place and South Second Street, it is first of four roundabouts to be installed around the Courthouse Square as part of the $19.9 million project to upgrade downtown’s water…

67th Annual Lighting of the Courthouse

NEWARK – Despite the looming rain clouds and scattered rain drops, the courthouse square in downtown Newark was full as friends and family gathered to see the 67th annual lighting of the courthouse and Santa’s arrival. Festivities kicked off around 6 p.m. A live nativity scene, complete with an angel, three wise men, Joseph, Mary and…