NEW ALBANY, Ohio — With Intel taking shape, and developers gobbling up more land in area that used to be rural, it’s making it harder for some communities to keep that small-town feel, including New Albany.

What You Need To Know

• Hayley Deeter is the owner of Hayley Gallery in New Albany, which she opened 17 years ago


• The art gallery sits just miles away from where the new Intel plant is being built


• New Albany’s Mayor Sloan Spalding says he’s trying to embrace the changes, while keeping a small-town feel

Hayley Deeter is the owner of Hayley Gallery in New Albany, which she opened 17 years ago.

"I had kind of hit that glass ceiling and I really reflected on my life and said, ‘What do I want to do that's going to teach my children something, allow me to have some freedom, support me economically as a single parent,'" she said. "And I just said, ‘I want to open up an art gallery’."

When Deeter opened her first gallery inside the Old New Albany firehouse nearly two decades ago, she barely had any neighbors, but now the landscape around it is only getting busier, as Intel continues taking shape just miles away. She says locally run businesses like her own will be key in keeping New Albany’s small town-vibe alive. 

"The hometown feel comes from the fact that we're supporting, truly supporting, local artists,” she said. “Artists who live in New Albany and also many artists live in Franklin County."

New Albany’s Mayor Sloan Spalding echoes that sentiment. 

“We can’t let a project like Intel change who we are,” he said. "We have to embrace it.” 

Spalding says embracing it in New Albany means strategic planning, which is crucial as Intel booms larger and larger

“They’re really great neighbors," he said. “But with that comes some challenges, and something we love about New Albany is that small town feel, and we want to keep that.”

But how? It’s a question Spalding brought up to the city’s residents. 

“Our strategic plan gets updated every couple years,” he said, “and we always make sure we get a lot of community input. Not surprisingly, they want restaurants that are more sit-down, more family-friendly bars, and so as we have this opportunity for growth, will make sure we’re giving the community what they want.”  

Back at Hayley Gallery, Deeter says she’s excited to welcome in new faces. 

"What I always want people to say to themselves is, ‘wow, I have never been in a gallery like this. I can't believe how much art you have. I can't believe the diversity of the artwork,'" she said.