DevelopOhio

A new company formed by USA Tealights, LLC, will lease the former Lumi-Lite Candle Company’s building in Muskingum County and bring 100 new jobs totaling $4 million in payroll to the area, according to a recent news release from the Zanesville Muskingum County Port Authority. United Candle Company LLC “is buying Lumi-Lite’s equipment, leasing their building and moving manufacturing from New Jersey to Ohio,” according to the release. The company “will create 100 new jobs with $4M in new payroll” and invest $1,815,000 in fixed assets and building upgrades. JobsOhio and the State of Ohio “are supporting the project with a $125,000 JobsOhio Grant and a 6-year Jobs Creation Tax Credit.” For more, read the full release at zmcport.com.

Columbus-based developer The Windsor Companies has plans for a $30-million transformation of Grant-Deneau Tower, Dayton’s first modern skyscraper, into luxury apartments, a hotel, office and retail space, Columbus Business First reports. Eric VanZwieten, head of marketing and public relations for Windsor, “said there is no specific timeline for the project, as financing must be secured before it can fully move forward,” according to the article. Grant-Deneau is eligible for federal and state historic credits, and it is located in the downtown Dayton Community Reinvestment Area, making it eligible for a property tax abatement. Securing financing “through these means will likely be critical for the project’s success.” The building resides in an Opportunity Zone (see our April 5, 2019 blog post) as well. For more, read the full article. 

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s pilot program to expand Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing to homeowners has “brokered more than $400,000 in loans to 39 dwellings,” The Toledo Blade reports. Elana Echols used the program to finance a new, energy-efficient furnace, and “said the lower energy bills she paid during the winter offset the higher amount on her property tax,” according to the article. Port authority leaders “are now working to expand the residential PACE program to a statewide initiative.” Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Canton have already signed on to participate. Paul Toth, outgoing president and CEO of the port authority, “said he believes the full program will be up and running by the end of the year.” For more, read the full article.

On August 5, 2019, the City of Shelby passed legislation to construct a solar energy project that was more than two years in the making. Shelby entered into a series of agreements with AEP OnSite Partners, LLC for a 2.5 MW solar array which will be located on 14 acres of property. The power produced by the solar facility will serve 3 percent to 4 percent of the City’s overall load. The solar facility will also help the City shave energy during peak periods. John Ensman, the City's director of utilities, highlighted the benefits of adding solar generation to the City’s electric system. "The benefits of having solar behind our meter is the effect of having a generator behind the meter," Ensman said. "It's another source of energy sitting there to help reduce the cost of energy for the community of Shelby. The realized rate is phenomenal when you start factoring in the savings you have for capacity and transmission; that's where the true cost savings come into play." It is estimated that solar facility will result in approximately $3 million in savings over the next 10 years as part of the project agreement. If all goes to plan, the solar field will be operational by mid-December 2019. For more, read the full article.

An affiliate of Westerville-based Donald R. Kenney & Company Realty, Metro Development LLC, “wants to build a mixed-use development on 41 acres near John Glenn Columbus International Airport,” Columbus Business First reports. The project, to be located on Cassady Avenue at Ackley Place, would include “apartments, an ambulatory care facility, hotel and commercial space,” according to the article. The Northeast Area Commission recently voted to approve the application on the condition that the retail not include liquor sales and small cellphone stores. A rendering submitted with the plan shows the care facility, office buildings, and a hotel, as well as smaller commercial buildings along Cassady Avenue. For more, read the full article.

Avangrid Renewables, the developer for a proposed solar farm near Miller City that would “bring in $1.3 million in additional property tax revenue,” said the company has found land for the project, The Lima News reports. Putnam County Commissioners recently met with Jeff Reinkemeyer, Eastern Renewables Development director for Avangrid, and Dylan Borchers of Bricker & Eckler LLP, attorney representing Avangrid, for an update on the project. Borchers said, “[t]he tax revenue that the solar farm will bring into the county will benefit the various taxing bodies,” with about half of the taxing income going to the schools, according to the article. Borchers “said a road use plan needs to be put together” and an application to the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) submitted; the OPSB “is the agency that will need to approve the project.” For more, read the full article.

The City of Cincinnati “plans to add 20 electric vehicles [EV] and 162 charging stations by the end of 2020” as part of a plan to eventually “transition the city’s fleet to an all EV fleet,” the Cincinnati Business Courier reports. Carla Walker, the city’s climate advisor, “said the city has allocated $96,000 in its budget to buy the 20 additional vehicles,” according to the article. Bloomberg Philanthropies chose Cincinnati to be part of the American Cities Climate Challenge, and will support the city’s efforts “to tackle climate change and support a sustainable future.” Walker “wants to educate 10,000 people on the advantages of electric vehicles” over the next year by hosting Ride and Drive events, among others. For more, read the full article.

A new “three-story, 119,000-square-foot” Swagelok Global Headquarters in Solon can move ahead after Solon City Council approved its site plan, Cleveland.com reports. Project plans “call for tearing down the existing one-story office building” and replacing it with the new structure that will wrap around the main plant, according to the article. Additions will include “a Welcome Center and Innovation Lab,” while “about 12,300 square feet of the existing manufacturing building will be renovated.” The expansion will accommodate an expected 400 new jobs and $87 million in new payroll over 10 years. For more, read the full article.

Local businesses in the City of Green will have access to grant funding for energy improvements, now that the city has entered into the Akron-Summit County Energy Special Improvement District (ESID), CantonRep.com reports. Councilman and intergovernmental and utilities committee chair Stephan Dyer said joining the ESID will allow businesses to apply for the funding for projects such as energy efficient lighting or roofing upgrades. Additionally, Summit County will be able to finance a light bulb replacement project for a county property in Green. For more, read the full article.

The City of Brooklyn is using grants from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) to fund two LED lighting upgrade projects, creating energy cost savings, Cleveland.com reports. Mayor Katie Gallagher said $39,000 from a 2017 NOPEC award is being used to upgrade street pole lighting on its main thoroughfares, involving 187 lights. Additionally, a 2018 $37,000 award will be put toward a “$50,000 lighting upgrade taking place at the John M. Coyne Recreation Center,” according to the article. That project will include “rec center lights, outdoor lighting in the rec center and pavilion lights in the parks.” Gallagher said projects such as these that reduce costs benefit the residents of Brooklyn “because then we can reallocate those savings to something else that they see directly in other services.” For more, read the full article.