The community of Sharonville, Ohio was named after a town, Sharon, in Pennsylvania, and renamed Sharonville in 1876. It boasts many amenities such as three fire stations, 17 ball fields, two community centers, five parks and five tennis courts. Located here is Sharon Woods, a 755-acre park, offering everything from biking to hiking as well as rowing and canoeing on a 35-acre lake. Houses are both older homes and newer construction. The commercial district boasts hundreds of businesses—motels and hotels, bars & restaurants. Currently, Sharonville is busy renovating some of its major hotels and facilities. The former Comfort Inn, now Hamilton Hotel, underwent a $3.5-million renovation, and $12 million went to renovate the former Radisson Hotel, now the new 257-room Sheraton Cincinnati North. Attached to the hotel is the $30-million new water park, Coco Key Water Resort, featuring water slides, lazy river, whirlpool, and children’s play areas. Sharonville Convention Center, which hosts more than 1,000 events annually, plans a $20-million expansion. Chester Road, the mile-long strip, will be revamped and will have sidewalks and other pedestrian-friendly features. The idea here is to create an ambience of a growing Northern landscape, and it is hoped that this so-called Northern Lights Corridor Development will invigorate the area. The biggest employer here is Ford Motor Company, whose commitment to a $200-million investment will mean retaining some 1,400 jobs. (Ford will close its Batavia plant soon.)