At Thursday's City Council meeting, Mayor Sara Drew delivered her State of the City address and said sharing services with neighboring communities is the key to the city's success.

Drew said improving the state Route 59 corridor between Stow and Kent will help both cities improve the tax base and make Stow a one-stop shop for everything people need.

"We're improving the Stow-Kent Plaza and Kent has improved its downtown," Drew said. "We have the book ends in place and now we just have to fill in the middle."

Stow and Kent officials are jointly applying for a grant through Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) to conduct a study on the corridor and make it a "thriving force," Drew said.

Drew also touched on all the assets the city has to work with including:

• A vibrant business community
• An unemployment rate that trends lower than Summit County's rate
• Shovel-ready land for new businesses
• An economically diverse and engaged community
• Skilled workers
• An emphasis on creative problem solving

"We have a lot of positive indicators that point to a bright future for Stow," Drew said. "We have to keep working together to move this city forward."