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SkyView Media LLC, Bay View, OH (2026)

09/10/2026

BATTERY PARK WASN’T ALWAYS LAND: THE HIDDEN HISTORY BENEATH SANDUSKY’S WATERFRONT
Before the marina, before the restaurants and before the massive redevelopment now underway, much of Battery Park was actually part of Sandusky Bay. Even the name “Battery Park” reaches back to Sandusky’s original 1818 plan, when James Kilbourne proposed gun batteries along the waterfront to help defend the city from an attack by water.
The batteries were never actually built, but the proposed eastern battery helped give Battery Park the name it still carries more than 200 years later.
The shoreline itself looked very different then.
During the 1800s, Sandusky gradually began creating usable land along this part of the waterfront. Railroad construction, shipyards and other industries helped push the shoreline farther into the bay. Some businesses that leased property here were actually required to fill portions of the water as part of their agreements.
The Sandusky Shipyard was operating in the area by the 1850s. Other industrial operations followed, including the Sandusky Tool Company, which continued filling portions of the property.
Shipbuilding became an important part of the waterfront as well. John Monk operated a shipyard here beginning in the 1870s, and industrial activity continued around Battery Park into the early 1900s.
Sandusky’s original waterworks was also located nearby. One of its most recognizable features was a huge steel standpipe that stood over the area until the devastating 1924 tornado brought it crashing down.
By the 1930s, the future of Battery Park was beginning to change.
Instead of remaining primarily industrial waterfront, Sandusky began developing the area for recreation. Boating facilities, docks, concessions and other attractions eventually followed.
By the 1960s, Battery Park Marina had become a major waterfront destination. The area included gas docks and the Surfside 66 restaurant, a name longtime Sandusky residents may still remember.
The marina went through another significant redevelopment during the 1980s, helping create much of the Battery Park people have been familiar with in more recent decades.
Now another transformation is underway, and this one is enormous.

The current Battery Park redevelopment represents an investment estimated at roughly $229 million. Plans include residential units, a hotel, restaurants, retail space, parking, marina improvements and new public areas along the waterfront.

There’s also another part of the work that isn’t as obvious from the road.

Battery Park received $10 million in state brownfield remediation funding for environmental cleanup associated with the property. That work includes removing and treating contaminated soil, removing an underground storage tank and addressing other environmental concerns before portions of the new development can move forward.

Considering the site’s long history of shipbuilding, industry, utilities and marina operations, Battery Park has undergone an incredible number of changes.

And that’s what makes the massive construction site you see today so interesting.

When you look at this aerial photograph, you aren’t simply looking at land being cleared for another development.

You’re looking at a waterfront that has been reshaped repeatedly for nearly two centuries.

Some of the ground underneath those excavators wasn’t ground at all when Sandusky was first laid out.

It was Sandusky Bay.

SkyView Media plans to continue following the Battery Park redevelopment as construction progresses, documenting the changes from above and taking a closer look at the history behind one of Sandusky’s most recognizable waterfront areas.

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09/09/2026

Tiffin’s $27.7 Million Water Street Project
Tiffin’s new High Rate Treatment Facility is being built to handle excess wastewater during heavy rain and reduce overflows into the Sandusky River.
The project includes a pump station capable of handling up to 36 million gallons per day and is expected to be completed by July 2028.
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09/09/2026

LEADING TIFFIN CITY SCHOOLS: “YOU HAVE TO EARN IT”
The first installment of Leading Tiffin City Schools introduces Superintendent Greg Williamson and the experiences, family influences and values that shaped the way he leads.
Yesterday, I shared that SkyView Media will be working with Tiffin City Schools to help bring more information about the district to the community.

Today, we begin with the first installment of Leading Tiffin City Schools, a new series created by Tiffin City Schools Director of Community Engagement Jimmy Flint.

The series is designed to help employees, families and community members better know the people responsible for leading and serving their schools.

The first story focuses on Superintendent Greg Williamson, a Bettsville native whose career has taken him through more than three decades in education before eventually bringing him back to Seneca County.

After recently having the opportunity to talk with Greg myself, I found him to be very friendly, personable and easy to talk with. My first impression was extremely positive, and I believe he is a great fit for the Tiffin community.

Here is the first installment of Leading Tiffin City Schools.

“YOU HAVE TO EARN IT”: WILLIAMSON RETURNS TO SENECA COUNTY TO LEAD TIFFIN SCHOOLS
The Bettsville native brings more than three decades in education and 13 and a half years of superintendent experience to a district seeking stability.
On the rare Sunday afternoons when Greg Williamson's father, Roger, stopped working long enough to turn on an old Western, Greg sat down beside him.

Roger Williamson drove a truck for more than 30 years, kept busy in his woodshop and later spent 14 years as a school bus driver. Growing up, Williamson rarely saw him sit still. That made those quiet hours in front of the television feel important.

Greg's mother, Saundra Williamson, became a school cook when he entered kindergarten and spent more than 30 years serving students. Watching both parents shaped his understanding of work, responsibility and the importance of people whose contributions do not always draw public attention.

Roger also taught him about trust. While serving on the Bettsville school board, he took Williamson to the state basketball tournament and made clear that whatever the younger Williamson saw or heard among school officials stayed there.

"I'm not one who feels like I need respect just because of my title," Williamson said. "I think you have to earn it."

For Williamson, earning it means showing up, doing the work and being honest. It means helping when he can, admitting when he does not know something and following through when he promises to find an answer.

Williamson did not enter college expecting to become an educator. He enrolled at the University of Toledo as a pre-med major but began questioning whether medicine was the life he wanted. A job in a tutoring lab gave him his answer.

He used his science background to become a biology and school health teacher at Old Fort. As student council adviser, he helped students organize concerns about a cafeteria procedure and take them directly to the principal. The principal listened and agreed to a change, showing students that a well-made case could be heard.

Williamson became an assistant principal at Glenwood Middle School in Findlay at 28. He later served as principal at McComb High School, returned to Findlay as an assistant principal and became superintendent of Leipsic Local Schools in 2012.

He remained at Leipsic for 13 and a half years, the longest stop of his career.

Former Leipsic Board of Education member Cindy Erickson served eight years on the Board and worked with Williamson on personnel matters and other priorities. She said their relationship was built partly through moments when they did not agree.

"He's going to listen to what you have to say and at least think about it," Erickson said. "He doesn't shut you down."

One of the clearest tests came when Leipsic pursued a track project it could not finance alone. The work depended on cooperation with the village and other partners. Erickson recalled Williamson doing the legwork, serving as liaison and making sure the Board understood every angle, including the good, bad and ugly.

"We knew we could count on him to take care of it and that he was going to bat for what we wanted and needed," Erickson said. "We knew he was looking out for the best interest of the district."

When Erickson learned Tiffin City Schools needed an interim superintendent and would also seek a permanent leader, she called Williamson. The hiring process unfolded in less than two weeks.

Williamson could have stepped away after completing his Leipsic chapter. Instead, Tiffin offered a new professional challenge, a return near his roots and an opportunity to keep helping.

"I truly enjoy what I do," Williamson said. "There are certainly bad days and stressful days and tiring days. But I still enjoy what I do. I feel confident that I can help."

At Tiffin City Schools, Williamson said he found reasons for optimism almost immediately. He pointed to meetings around the district's One Plan, where educators and administrators were examining data and using it to make academic decisions.

"Very professional and very determined to make sure our kids get the best," he said.

Tiffin City Schools Board President Heidi Stephey said Williamson's experience in policy, budgeting and academics gave the Board confidence that he could help move important initiatives forward.

"We also felt that his calm and unassuming demeanor would bring some stability and a sense of calm to the district and our staff," Stephey said. "We have seen this to be true already."

Williamson said experience has taught him to take a calm approach to solving problems. He describes himself as a people-oriented introvert and says understanding how he is wired helps him recognize that people are motivated differently.

Family provides another center. Roger and Williamson's two sisters live in Tiffin. His son, Cole, remains connected to Leipsic and his daughter, MacKenzie Watkins, made him a grandfather in January.

When student needs, employee concerns and taxpayer resources compete, Williamson begins with a cost-benefit analysis rooted in the fiscal caution he learned at home. In a school district, he said, the calculation can never be purely financial.

"We still have to determine cost versus benefit while keeping the welfare of the kids front and center," he said.

Williamson wants residents to stay informed and examine whether tax dollars are being used well. In return, he believes the district must explain its work, acknowledge mistakes and provide the context residents need to judge it fairly.

His definition of success begins with a balanced budget and evidence of academic growth each year. It also includes a stronger culture, adults aligned around what students need and more recognition of success when it happens.

Saundra died in 2025, but her years serving students from a school kitchen remain part of the way Williamson talks about every employee's value. Roger still lives in Tiffin, where father and son spend time together several times each week.

The road back to Seneca County returned Williamson to where his standard for leadership began. The title may give him authority, but trust still must be earned.

"You do that by showing up and doing the work every day," Williamson said.

This story is adapted from the first installment of Leading Tiffin City Schools, a district series designed to help employees, families and community members better know the people responsible for leading and serving their schools.
Want to read Jimmy Flint's full Director's Cut?

https://www.tiffincityschools.org/news/2026/09/02/you-have-to-earn-it-greg-williamsons-road-back-to-seneca-county

SkyView Media is happy to help bring this new series and other information from Tiffin City Schools to the community.

Follow SkyView Media to stay informed as we continue sharing more from Tiffin City Schools and communities throughout Northwest Ohio.

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09/08/2026

SKYVIEW MEDIA TO WORK WITH TIFFIN CITY SCHOOLS TO HELP KEEP THE COMMUNITY INFORMED
A new line of communication is opening between Tiffin City Schools and the community, and SkyView Media is happy to help bring more of those stories to the public.
Last week, Tiffin City Schools Director of Community Engagement Jimmy Flint invited me to his office to talk about ways SkyView Media can help get more information about the district out to the community.
Jimmy and I spent about an hour and a half talking about Tiffin City Schools, communication with the public and some of the stories happening throughout the district that people may not always get a chance to see or hear about.
I was very impressed with Jimmy's passion for Tiffin City Schools.
Jimmy is a Tiffin City Schools alumnus, and many people in the area may also recognize his name from his five years as a journalist with the Advertiser-Tribune. He now serves as the district's Director of Community Engagement, a position focused on helping connect the schools with employees, families and the broader community.
I really enjoyed my conversations with Jimmy, and I can already tell we will definitely be having many more. He cares deeply about the district, its students and the community, and I believe he will be a great voice for Tiffin City Schools.
After my meeting with Jimmy, I also had an opportunity to spend some time talking with Superintendent Greg Williamson. Greg was very friendly, personable and easy to talk with. My first impression was extremely positive, and I believe he is a great fit for the Tiffin community.
SkyView Media is very happy to work with Tiffin City Schools to help bring more information, stories and insight about the district to the public.
One of the first projects we'll be sharing is Jimmy's new series, Leading Tiffin City Schools. The series is designed to help employees, families and community members better know the people responsible for leading and serving the schools, along with the experiences and values that shape how they approach their work.
The first installment focuses on Superintendent Greg Williamson and his journey from Bettsville and Old Fort, through more than three decades in education, and eventually back to Seneca County to lead Tiffin City Schools.
I’ll be sharing that first installment tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. here on SkyView Media.
For me, this is another opportunity to do what SkyView Media has always tried to do: help keep people informed about what is happening in the communities we call home.
There are a lot of stories happening inside our schools, and I'm looking forward to helping bring more of them to you.
Make sure you follow SkyView Media so you don't miss the first installment of Leading Tiffin City Schools tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., along with future updates from the district.
Subscribe to SkyView Media on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/

09/07/2026

Huron’s 3rd Lighthouse
Most people recognize the Huron Harbor Lighthouse, but many don’t realize the tower standing there today is actually the third lighthouse to guide boats into Huron Harbor.
The first dates back to 1835, and the lighthouse you see today was built in 1936. Nearly 90 years later, it’s still standing watch where the Huron River meets Lake Erie.
Follow SkyView Media for more unique stories, places, and views from across northwest Ohio and Lake Erie.
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09/06/2026

WHAT IS BIG JACQUES SAYING? WRONG ANSWERS ONLY.
Before you read another word, look at this picture and tell us in the comments what you think Big Jacques is saying.
Because those are not normal hands.
Those are “I have hands the size of patio furniture, so obviously I’m qualified to explain this” hands.
Those are “The walleye was THIS BIG. Don’t make me widen my stance.” hands.
Those are “I’ve been watching Route 163 traffic for 50 years, and somehow everybody still waits until the last second to change lanes.” hands.
And that face?
That is the face of a man who is 100% certain he is right and 0% interested in your side of the story.
Then there’s the mustache.
That is not a mustache.
That is two caterpillars that signed a long-term lease on his upper lip.
Or maybe it’s where he stores his opinions.
The funny part is, Big Jacques really does have a long history.
The roughly 30-foot fiberglass giant dates back to the 1960s and originally advertised an Ohio restaurant. He eventually made his way to the Marblehead area in the early 1970s and became one of Northwest Ohio’s most recognizable roadside landmarks.
For years, he was even known as “Handless Jacques” after losing his original hands.
Then came the restoration.
Fresh paint. Repairs. New hands.
Very, very large hands.
Apparently somebody asked, “Should we make them subtle?”
The answer was clearly no.
So now Big Jacques has the hands, the stare and the mustache.
All he needs is a voice.
Big Jacques says: “________________________.”
Put your best line in the comments.
Wrong answers preferred. The more ridiculous, the better.
Follow SkyView Media for more unusual Northwest Ohio landmarks, local history and stories hiding in plain sight.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

09/05/2026

PART 10: THE FINAL CHAPTER — EIGHT YEARS, TEN PARTS, AND STILL NO CONSTRUCTION
Eight years after Tiffin first heard about a major Riverfront Development, there still isn’t a shovel in the ground.
But after digging through the records for this 10-part series, the reason why is far more complicated than one person, one decision or one financing problem.
Plans changed.
Opposition surfaced.
Financing advanced.
The Kear’s property was purchased.
Interest rates climbed.
And construction never started.
After nine previous parts, hundreds of pages of public records, city meeting minutes, financing documents and conversations with developer Eduardo Hernando, here is where the story stands.
OPPOSITION WAS REAL
The public record clearly shows opposition to Hernando’s Riverfront plans.
Concerns were raised over the size and height of the proposed buildings, parking, downtown views and other parts of the development.
Letters were submitted, conditions were discussed and the project continued moving through city boards and approvals.
Those actions did not stop the project by themselves, but they became part of a long process that brought revisions and a smaller development than what was originally proposed.
FINANCING DID MOVE FORWARD
Hernando has said the project eventually reached a point where financing was lining up.
The documents reviewed by SkyView Media support that to a point.
Senior financing and PACE financing term sheets were accepted.
Tiffin City Council unanimously approved legislation needed for the project’s TIF and PACE structure.
By February 2023, Tiffin Riverfront Development had purchased the former Kear’s property for approximately $750,000 in cash.
That is worth remembering when people say the project never had real money behind it.
Accepted term sheets are not the same as a fully closed construction loan, but the project had moved well beyond drawings and promises.
THEN THE NUMBERS CHANGED
Hernando says rising interest rates made PACE and other financing increasingly expensive.
At the same time, the project had been reduced in size.
Many of the fixed costs tied to the building, site work and infrastructure remained, but there were fewer units available to spread those costs across.
The cost per unit went up.
Hernando also told SkyView Media that disagreements arose during TIF negotiations with the City of Tiffin, including a dispute over roughly $1 million connected to the financing structure.
The TIF and PACE approvals are documented. The financing documents are documented. The Kear’s purchase is documented.
Hernando’s description of the private negotiations remains his account.
He eventually moved toward private financing instead.
Construction still didn’t begin.
HOW LONG HAS HERNANDO ACTUALLY OWNED KEAR’S?
This part of the timeline is easy to miss.
Hernando has been connected to the Riverfront proposal for years, but Tiffin Riverfront Development has only owned the Kear’s property since 2023.
That’s roughly three and a half years.
Compare that with East Tower.
East Junior High closed in 2003.
The property sat for years before major redevelopment finally began moving forward.
Now, roughly 23 years after the school closed, East Tower is being repurposed for new uses.
That doesn’t excuse the lack of construction at Kear’s.
It does show how long complicated redevelopment projects can take.
The Riverfront project has been discussed for nearly eight years.
Hernando has not owned Kear’s for nearly eight years.
Those are two different timelines.
HERNANDO STILL HAS TO BUILD IT
Whatever obstacles the project faced, Tiffin Riverfront Development is still Hernando’s project.
Plans changed.
Financing strategies changed.
Deadlines passed.
Ultimately, it remains his responsibility to put together a project that can be financed and built.
That responsibility cannot be shifted entirely to opposition, City Hall or changing economic conditions.
THE PROJECT TODAY IS NOT THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
Lots 4 and 6 were major pieces of the original Riverfront concept and remained city-owned.
In 2026, those properties again became part of discussions between the city and Hernando.
The Kear’s property is different.
Tiffin Riverfront Development owns it privately, meaning it can potentially move forward separately from whatever happens with the city-owned land.
So if redevelopment eventually happens along this section of the Sandusky River, it may look very different from the original renderings people saw years ago.
SO WHAT ACTUALLY DELAYED IT?
After reviewing the record, I don’t think there is an honest way to name one cause.
There was opposition.
There were revisions.
City approvals and city-owned property played a role.
Financing changed.
Interest rates and construction costs changed.
And the developer still had to find a way to make the numbers work.
The two simplest explanations people often give are:
“The developer never had the money.”
or
“One person stopped the project.”
Neither tells the whole story.
AFTER 10 PARTS, HERE’S WHERE IT STANDS
Tiffin wanted riverfront redevelopment before Eduardo Hernando arrived.
Hernando proposed one of the largest private developments in the city’s recent history.
The project faced opposition and revisions.
Financing progressed significantly but never reached the point where construction began.
Hernando eventually purchased Kear’s himself.
The original Riverfront plan never became reality.
And in 2026, the future of this part of Tiffin’s riverfront is still being decided.
That is where this 10-part series ends.
Not with one villain.
Not with one excuse.
And not with a completed development.
It ends with a project that changed repeatedly over nearly eight years and a piece of Tiffin’s riverfront that still has an unfinished story.
If construction begins, if the Kear’s property is redeveloped, if Lots 4 or 6 change hands, or if a completely different development moves forward, SkyView Media will continue following it.
For now, this concludes the 10-part SkyView Media investigation into the Tiffin Riverfront Development.
I also want to thank Nick Dutro and the City of Tiffin officials who helped provide the public records used throughout this series.
The response to my records requests was excellent, and in many cases the documents came back very quickly. That access allowed me to show readers what the public record actually says.
I also want to thank Eduardo Hernando for being willing to have open and honest discussions with me about the project.
I checked his statements against the public documents whenever possible, and I was able to verify almost everything he told me through those records.
Some private conversations and negotiations could not be independently confirmed, and I have tried to clearly separate those claims from documented facts throughout the series.
Thank you to everyone who followed all 10 parts, shared information, asked questions and kept the conversation going.
SkyView Media will keep following the records, asking the questions and putting the facts in front of you so you can make up your own mind.
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09/04/2026

CHEEKZ BURGERS OPENS NEW SANDUSKY LOCATION
Cheekz Burgers opens its new location tomorrow at 212 Fremont Avenue, inside the former Original Margaritaville building.
The old orange exterior is gone, replaced with a bold black-and-gold look, and the setting along Cold Creek gives diners an up-close view of the waterfall.
It’s a fresh new chapter for Cheekz in one of Sandusky’s most recognizable restaurant locations.
Follow SkyView Media for local stories and coverage you won’t find anywhere else.

09/03/2026

PART 9: THE PROPERTY WAS BOUGHT. THE FINANCING WAS LINING UP. SO WHY DIDN’T CONSTRUCTION START?
By early 2023, the Tiffin Riverfront Development appeared closer to construction than it had been in years.
The revised apartment building had received city approval. Financing legislation had cleared City Council. Lenders were involved.
Then developer Eduardo Hernando took another major step.
Tiffin Riverfront Development bought the Kear property.
According to Tiffin City Council records, the property at 6 E. Market St. was purchased for $750,000 in cash, with no mortgage on the purchase itself.
Then-Law Director Brent Howard told Council that equity investors, a primary bank lender and PACE financing were involved in the larger development.
Lenders were already at the table
On Dec. 19, 2022, attorney David Rogers, representing the developer, told City Council that two financiers had presented loan options.
According to the official minutes, the developer had accepted both a senior loan term sheet and a PACE loan term sheet.
Rogers told Council that a first-quarter financial closing could allow construction to begin. He also said lenders wanted confirmation that the city would approve the PACE assessments and TIF legislation before proceeding.
Council did exactly that.
The TIF ordinance passed 7-0.
The PACE resolutions and accompanying ordinances also passed 7-0.
On paper, several major pieces appeared to be falling into place.
Then Hernando bought the site
By February 2023, the Kear property was no longer simply part of a proposal.
The developer owned it.
Howard told Council the $750,000 purchase had been a cash transaction and said additional lending information was expected soon.
At roughly the same time, the future of Kear’s Speed Shop became clear.
In March 2023, national racing publication Speed Sport reported that Kear’s was closing after 54 years and that the property was expected to become a six-story apartment development.
The project architect later described plans for retail and amenities on the first floor with five residential floors above it. Architectural Board of Review approval had already been received, and construction was at one point expected to begin in 2024.
But 2024 came and went.
The building never rose along the Sandusky River.
So what happened?
This is where the public record and Hernando’s account begin to meet.
In conversations with SkyView Media, Hernando has said the financing environment changed considerably while the development was progressing.
He said rising interest rates made financing increasingly expensive.
Hernando has also explained that PACE financing can create another difficulty because of its senior lien position, potentially requiring a conventional lender to accept a subordinate position.
Those are Hernando’s explanations. They do not establish that any one issue stopped construction.
But the public record does establish something significant:
There were lenders. There were accepted term sheets. City Council unanimously approved the requested TIF and PACE legislation. And Hernando’s company spent $750,000 in cash to buy the property.
Still, construction never started.
That changes the question surrounding this project.
It is no longer simply whether the Riverfront Development was ever a serious proposal.
Money was invested. Property was purchased. Approvals were obtained. Financing was pursued.
The question is what happened after the project reached that point.
That answer involves more than one decision, more than one person and more than one setback.
And that is where this investigation will end.
NEXT: PART 10, THE FINAL CHAPTER
After years of plans, approvals, opposition, redesigns and financing attempts, what actually held up the Tiffin Riverfront Development?
SkyView Media will put the public records alongside Hernando’s own account and separate what can be documented from what remains disputed.
Follow SkyView Media LLC and share this story with someone who has been following the Riverfront series. Part 10 will be the final chapter.
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