State Awards Grants for $134M in Projects

Most of the properties have seen heavy industrial use, such as manufacturing, former foundries, mills and railroad depots. John Magill, director of urban development for the state, says Ohio has a lot of older industrial property that was left behind by failed or moved-on businesses. The Clean Ohio money, voted into being in 2000, "has attracted reinvestment to communities to give them a chance to experience new growth," Magill tells GlobeSt.com.

The recent fund includes:

• $3 million for remediation of the former Bison Corp. site in Canton. Abbott Electric has leased property on the site.
• $3 million to redevelop the former Hercules Engine plant. Broadview Development Co. LLC plans a $12.2-million redevelopment project for the 26-acre site, but is mum on the details.
• The City of Cincinnati received $3 million to create the MetroWest Commerce Park project on 18 acres of industrial property formerly used to recondition waste drums. The current plan is for a $12-million, 75,000-sf facility.
• Cleveland was given $2 million for the redevelopment of the Broadway Corridor, to be renamed the Morgana East Development, part of a 15-acre residential and commercial development. Partners include the city, Zaremba Inc., Slavic Village Development and Third Federal Savings.
• The TechCenter South property in Columbus, with one million sf of buildings, will be redeveloped with help from a $3-million grant. A new user plans to spend $6 million to bring in retail, office/storage space and a call center.
• Columbus also received a $3-million grant for the revitalization of the former Columbus Coated Fabrics site between Fifth and 11th avenues. The city plans to demolish the onside manufacturing buildings and plans a $35-million new development, with partners, to include a 500-unit residential community.
• The City of Dayton received $3 million for the redevelopment of the 49-acre NCR Corp. property, with a $20.2-million plan to rebuild a 477,000-sf facility for uses that include R&D, academic and commercial uses.
• Lorain got $3 million to rebuild the former Ford Assembly Plant. IRG Lorain LLC will spend $12 million to build commercial and industrial uses on the 77 acres.

Magill says the state is seeing a slow build-up in momentum for attracting new investment, with new projects such as the Harrison Park condo project in Columbus, Amylin Pharmaceuticals' new $70-million Biomedical Manufacturing Plant in West Chester and a possible new steel mill by Russia-based Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works for Haverhill. "High-tech firms are bringing in a diversity of new jobs," he says. "We're using the brownfield money and state historic tax credits to begin the transition to create wealth and opportunities for our citizens."