Today, the Reeb Center is marking its 10-year anniversary, and we want to raise a glass to those who invested in the vision all those years ago and to all who continue to realize its mission day in and day out.
The renovation and reimagination of the former Reeb Avenue Center elementary school would not have been possible without the leadership of former Mayor Michael Coleman and former Deputy Director Erika Clark Jones, Don and Nancy Kelley, Jim and Christina Grote, Jane Grote Abell, Tanny Crane, and the entire Kelley, Grote, and Crane families and companies.
Leadership matters, and when leaders have a clear vision for what could be, it becomes a magnet for attracting others.
The original project was going to be a small building to house the former South Side Learning & Development Center as part of the Kids Come First campaign. It was Jim Grote who wanted to “get those babies out of that building,” given the condition that it was in, and it was Jim who said investments in a new building should serve more than one nonprofit. Rev. John Edgar and Community Development for All People became the first partner.
From a fundraising perspective, a $4 million project was going to be daunting, but the story didn’t end there. Mayor Coleman, Don Kelley, Jim Grote, and others believed that the historic Reeb Avenue Elementary School could become a catalyst for investment on the south side – an anchor on the southern end of Parsons Avenue with Nationwide Children’s Hospital leading investments on the northern end of Parsons. Renovating Reeb would not only spur economic investment that was desperately needed, but it would also create a “hub of hope” for the people on the south side.
Tanny Crane and Jane Grote Abell championed the vision and rallied the community to raise $17 million, renovate 67,000 square feet, and open the doors with 14 nonprofits who were the original tenants. It was a true public-private partnership, but more than that, it was a community of people who believed deeply in the power of hope.
While the historic building was seen as an asset to be invested in and leveraged as a catalyst, it was the people on the south side who were the true assets. They just needed an opportunity and some place to go to realize their own vision of what could be. Reeb became that place of safety, education, opportunity, and hope.
Our friends at WOSU Public Media celebrated the opening of Reeb with this feature story on their Columbus Neighborhood series: https://bit.ly/Reeb.
The founding Reeb Avenue Center mission statement was to build a prosperous south side community, and the values statements were:
- Lift Up – empower with an inclusive environment of respect
- Learning – education as fundamental to creating prosperity
- Legacy – honoring the heritage of the southside and recognizing the achievements of the people and businesses who call the south side home
- Leadership – inspiring the next generation and fostering their growth and development
- Love – caring deeply about our neighbors
Those values were lived by everyone at Reeb, but most especially by Tanny and Jane. They are the epitome of servant leaders, and they spent countless hours at Reeb getting to know the neighbors, their names and birthdays, but also their concerns and dreams. They were more than generous donors; they were friends to all who walked through the door.
The opening of Reeb and the ribbon-cutting ceremony, documented in this video, is something I will never forget. It was an honor of my career to be part of the beginning story.
Thank you to Ally Zahler, who was the first employee and who continues to lead the organization today. A lot has changed in 10 years, but the vision remains the same. Cheers to Ally and all who steward the hub of hope that is the Reeb Center today.
