MARTINSVILLE — Mayor Kenny Costin addressed a crowded room last week for his annual State of the City address, hosted by the Greater Martinsville Chamber of Commerce and the Martinsville Rotary Club.
In his address, Costin highlighted a number of accomplishments completed by the city in 2024 and looked ahead to projects currently underway in 2025. Throughout it all, the mayor emphasized the teamwork required.
“It’s not me,” Costin said. “It’s our team. The city council, the board of works, our employees … all of us work together.
“We don’t always get along. We don’t always agree. But we all work together for our community.”
In looking back at 2024, the mayor pointed to a number of projects that were finished, including the water department building, which was destroyed by a tornado in the spring of 2023. In its place, the city rebuilt a new structure that allows for more storage and better use of the space. Best of all, insurance covered nearly all the construction costs.
He also pointed to the new police station that was completed at the end of 2024 on West Morgan Street — a standalone department that has been talked about for decades but is now a reality.
As a testament to the new facilities, Costin pointed to the recent hiring process. Typically, the Martinsville PD may get a handful of applicants for an open job. But the most recent hiring process had 84 applicants.
Costin also highlighted the levee work that’s been done along the White River on the town’s west side. The initial $23 million project included about $20 million in funding from the state, with the city adding another $3 million.
But the city has been able to complete the project sooner than anticipated, dropping the price tag to $16 million, which includes $2 million from the city.
Costin also pointed to the housing that’s popping up on the city’s east side, along Artesian Avenue. Between 500 and 600 new homes are expected to be built in the area, which has an “impact for schools and businesses,” Costin said.
Looking ahead, Costin highlighted the new park that’s in the works in the area of Southview Drive — a former residential neighborhood that was all but destroyed in the flood of 2008.
“This is going to be a great asset to our community having that on the south side,” Costin said.
The city plans to turn the space into a multipurpose park, which includes a new skatepark that just received a grant for $15,000. He pointed to the work of executive assistant to the mayor Mack Porter in making the skatepark a reality.
“He’s been very instrumental in this,” Costin said.
The mayor also highlighted the new civic theater that is expected to be completed in late summer or early fall. It will seat 320 people, and the mayor hopes the space can serve the community in a variety of functions, from performances to movies to events.
“We are trying to make Martinsville a destination,” Costin said.
He also highlighted the 10.5 miles of streets that have been resurfaced, with “4.7 miles here in 2025” planned for resurfacing. Since his administration started, he’s resurfaced 70 percent of the city’s streets, according to Costin, and he hopes to get them all onto an 8-year rotation.
Overall, Costin underscored the many changes taking place in the city, with more yet to come.
“It’s an exciting time for me to be blessed to lead the city of Martinsville,” Costin said, concluding that “the state of the city is good.”
Other awards
As part of the State of the City banquet, the Greater Martinsville Chamber of Commerce handed out a number of awards.
Darcy Quakenbush was honored for her four-year term as board chair for the chamber.
Michelle Keller, owner of Brickhouse on Main, was named the 2024 Outstanding Business Professional.
Carmen Elliott was given the 2024 Ruth Rusie Spirit of Service Award for her work with the nonprofit Desert Rose — which is dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence.
And Rhonda Aliff, the owner of Awnie’s Italian Cuisine on the square, was named the 2024 Outstanding Business.
