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Is this where Rickenbacker area development news goes? Columbus City Council approves tax breaks for new Coca-Cola Consolidated facility "Columbus City Council on Monday approved major tax abatements for Coca-Cola Consolidated. The council voted to approve a 10-year, 75% tax abatement for Coca-Cola Consolidated, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, for an expansion of its facilities near Rickenbacker International Airport. The planned new 400,000-square-foot distribution and warehouse facility, anticipated to open in spring 2025, will be part of the Rickenbacker Industrial Center located on Rohr Road, a 230-acre master planned industrial development by Trident Capital Group and O’Connor Capital Partners. Coca-Cola Consolidated said in an announcement Tuesday that it will spend nearly $100 million to create the new three-function facility that includes warehouse and distribution, equipment services, and fleet shop for its transportation subsidiary, Red Classic Transit." City Council roundup from last night can be found here: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/07/25/council-gives-major-tax-benefits-to-coca-cola-consolidated-others/70455414007/

New Ohio To Erie Trail Section Opens In Sunbury "On June 29, a new chapter was added to Ohio’s rich history of recreational amenities with the opening of a scenic bridge on the Sunbury Trail section of the Ohio to Erie Trail. The Ohio to Erie Trail is a dedicated multi-use trail crossing Ohio from southwest to northeast, stretching over 326 miles of regional parks, nature preserves, and rural woodland. With the completion of this new Sunbury Trail section, the trail is roughly 85% complete. The trail, named after its endpoints, extends from the Ohio River at Cincinnati to Lake Erie at Cleveland, integrating former rail trails and multi-use trails into a dedicated route. The Sunbury trail section begins at Cherry Street and extends over the Big Walnut Creek, providing picturesque views of the surrounding landscape. The highlight of this new section is the former Sunbury railroad bridge, which has been transformed into a pedestrian path. The bridge features built-in scenic overlooks, allowing trail users to pause and take in the stunning views above Big Walnut Creek." https://1808delaware.com/history-tourism/new-ohio-to-erie-trail-section-opens-in-sunbury/

Intel facility would avoid ‘redundant’ environmental review under U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown bill -The changes exempt CHIPs Act projects from federal review if they’ve gone through similar state-level permitting- "Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is co-sponsoring a measure aimed at streamlining projects like the Licking County Intel facility funded by the CHIPs Act. The proposal would allow those projects to avoid a federal environmental review if they’ve already undergone a similar state or local process. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, “major federal actions” require an environmental impact statement. Brown’s new Building Chips in America Act carves certain projects funded by the CHIPs Act out of that definition. “For large, complex projects, federal environmental reviews can, rightly so, take several years, but pausing the construction work in Intel while that happens is unacceptable,” Brown argued. “It has already undergone state and local reviews it has the permits our bill means this project could move forward without having to undergo redundant reviews at the federal level.” The proposal would exempt from NEPA review CHIPs projects that have received permits and begun construction, expansions that would less than double an existing site, projects that undergo state review as stringent as NEPA, or projects where federal funding accounts for 15% or less of the facility’s cost. The proposal also puts the Commerce Department in charge of any required NEPA reviews and limits the timeline for court challenges." https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/07/21/intel-facility-would-avoid-redundant-environmental-review-under-u-s-sen-sherrod-brown-bill/

Hollywood Casino Columbus operator aims to start building Ohio's first casino hotel by fall "Work is scheduled to begin this fall on a 200-room hotel next to Hollywood Casino Columbus on the West Side, fulfilling a long desire for a hotel on the site. Officials from Penn and the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council plan to announce a "community benefit agreement" between the parties Friday that paves the way for construction to begin. The seven-story, 150,000-square-foot hotel is expected to include 200 rooms including suites. The hotel will also house a restaurant and bar, conference and meeting space, a fitness center and outdoor seating terrace. The hotel will not be physically attached to the casino but will be connected via a walkway. Penn will operate the hotel." https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/07/20/hollywood-casino-columbus-operator-aims-to-build-on-site-hotel/70437172007/

It's nice to see that this is being built all at once, instead of in phases... "Equity is building TruePointe all at once instead of in phases. Wathen said he expects the first buildings to open in early 2025. The Indianapolis firm Milhaus is a partner in the apartment portion of the project. The Columbus company M+A is the lead architect on the project and MKSK, also of Columbus, is designing the landscape. When completed, the project will contain 15 buildings including 300,000 square feet of offices, 359 apartments, a 108-room hotel, 42,000 square feet of restaurants and shops and two parking garages. The campus will also feature walking trails, a six-acre lake and a dog park." https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/07/20/work-starts-on-truepointe-the-200-million-mixed-use-hilliard-project/70433951007/

Rinchem Company plans to build $50M chemical warehouse near Intel "Rinchem Co., an Albuquerque-based chemical and gas distributor, is planning a $50 million project near the Intel Corp. site in New Albany. The company is seeking approval of a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with the city for the project at 3447 Clover Valley Road, which is just a few miles from Intel's future campus. New Albany City Council will consider the CRA agreement at its Tuesday meeting. Rinchem acquired a 29-acre parcel of land recently annexed into New Albany and located within the CRA. It intends to build a new chemical warehouse on 22 acres within the project site, according to city documents. The building will measure approximately 122,000 square feet. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2024 and is expected to be complete in March 2025." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/07/18/rinchem-co-proposes-50m-project-near-intel-campus.html

A map of road projects expected to be fully completed by 2030 https://www.nbc4i.com/intel-in-ohio/90-million-ohio-transportation-project-announced-ahead-of-intels-arrival/

There's so much to read in this week's agenda, it's easy to miss some! Here's another... Affordable housing going in on Fornof Rd (near 104) appears to be moving forward... Ordinance (consent) "To rezone 103 FORNOF RD. (43207), being 5.50± acres located on the south side of Fornof Road, 310± feet east of South High Street, From: L-M, Limited Manufacturing District, To: AR-1, Apartment Residential District (Rezoning #Z21-091)."

Lots on Columbus City Council's agenda this week including: - 50 W Lane Ave (second reading) - Adding Kroger Bakery to Milo-Grogan TIF (first reading) - Georgesville Road at Hall Road intersection improvements (consent) - More infrastructure improvements near Rickenbacker (second reading) - Numerous North Market related Ordinances (first readings) Detailed list of this week's agenda can be found here: https://www.legigram.com/places/columbus

Marietta health system opening women, children's hospital "Memorial Health System, headquartered in Marietta, Ohio, will soon build southeast Ohio’s only women and children’s hospital, thanks to $30 million allocated to the project in the state budget. The new hospital will be on the system’s Belpre Medical Campus, along with a new Pediatric Emergency Department that was recently built there, and which will open by the end of the year. Construction is slated to begin in the spring and will take 18 months to two years." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/healthcare/2023/07/14/30-million-in-ohios-budget-will-go-to-new-hospital-in-southeast-ohio-marietta-maternity-care-desert/70407396007/

4 minute video was released recently showing some of the progress happening near the Intel site... Silicon Heartland Transportation Improvements Update (Summer 2023)

Terita's is our favorite pizza in the city... Their homemade pizza sauce is what sets it apart from the others. Even though we live a mile or so south of downtown, we regularly get Terita's!

New 254-home subdivision to be built in Pataskala "Forest Ridge, a 254-home subdivision by M/I Homes of Central Ohio, is coming to Ohio 310/Hazelton-Etna Road in Pataskala. The home builder expects to start selling lots for single-family homes next spring. The Pataskala Planning and Zoning Commission approved a preliminary plan in September. On July 5, the commission approved the project's first phase, which will have 29 lots on 11 acres of land. The 254 homes will be built in multiple phases. The 128.1-acre development is bordered to the south by the existing Ravines at Hazelwood subdivision and to the east by the new Scenic View Estates subdivision. About 50 acres, or about 40% of the development, will be open space, West said. Site preparation work is ongoing and water and sanitary sewer lanes will be installed soon, West said. M/I Homes hopes to pave the first phase's roads by the end of the year and a model home will completed by March. Homes will be built in the summer and fall of 2024 with the first residents moving in by the end of 2024" https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/pataskala/2023/07/12/254-home-pataskala-subdivision-cater-intel-employees/70398949007/

Columbus City Council approves creating new 7-mile-long, 58-acre park through Linden "A 7-mile-long, 58-acre stretch of abandoned railroad corridor through Linden will become a new city park under legislation approved Monday by Columbus City Council. City Council's approval of the Linden Green Line Project allows the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department to accept a 2023 Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission for nearly $2.5 million to purchase the land. With local match funding of the grant from city Recreation and Parks bond funding, the project will total more than $4.9 million. Councilmember Mitchell Brown, chair of the Recreation and Parks Committee, said the Linden Green Line will be a first-of-its-kind park in central Ohio. The planned new park will stretch from Windsor Park, near 17th Avenue in South Linden, to Cooper Park in Northland. The plan also includes creating several shared-use paths to connect the Linden Green Line to other established parks in the area, city officials say, and would be located within a 10-minute walk of about 131,000 residents." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/07/11/columbus-city-council-approves-creating-7-mile-long-58-acre-park-along-railroad-corridor-in-linden/70399474007/

It appears the development at N. Hamilton and Beecher Rd can proceed... Judge dismisses disputed land case in Gahanna "A Franklin County judge has sided with the city of Gahanna over a land dispute in which residents’ objections and legal action were thwarted after City Attorney Ray Mularski settled the case with a developer. “The court concludes that (City Attorney Ray Mularski) had the legal authority to enter into the settlement, plaintiffs are pursuing this action for their own benefit and do not have standing and that the settlement was made in good faith,” Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Serrott, wrote June 21 in a 12-page opinion to dismiss the case. Academy Development had filed plans five years ago for shops and businesses at the southwest corner of North Hamilton and Beecher roads in Gahanna. Serrott also noted that case law involving similar taxpayer objections must involve the public good and not just their “personal property interests.” He noted that the homeowners threatened to sue only when the trees, which were a buffer to their homes, began to come down. In a written statement, the city praised the ruling to dismiss the homeowners’ case. “The city of Gahanna is pleased that the court agreed our city attorney has the authority to resolve cases that could otherwise cost Gahanna taxpayers millions of dollars. The city attorney made the right decision to resolve a pending action and a threatened lawsuit to protect the best interests of all our taxpayers, while also making every effort to protect neighborhoods and property values." Full story here: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/judge-dismisses-disputed-gahanna-academy-ridge-land-case/70384744007/ *If you're not familiar with the "development controversy"- here's an article from The Dispatch from April with more details: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/04/14/gahanna-sued-over-development-controversy-involving-settlement-offer/70104647007/

Columbus adds more construction jobs than all but two U.S. cities with Intel, OSU projects "Central Ohio gained 6,100 construction jobs over the past year, more than almost any other U.S. city, as Intel, Ohio State University and other projects keep the local hammers swinging. Between May 2022 and this May, the number of Columbus-area construction jobs rose from 48,600 to 54,700, according to the Associated General Contractors of America , which based the report on federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data. "This construction market's really hitting on all cylinders," Mooney said. "Columbus is a growing community, lots of health care; the Wexner Medical Center and Mount Carmel and OhioHealth all have work going on ... We're seeing growth in all market segments and the population is growing, which is driving demand for housing too." Simonson said one of the biggest growth areas for contractors over the past year has been in manufacturing, with a 77% jump in construction employment. In addition to Intel, Amgen, Ohio Steel Industries, Simpson Manufacturing, Vertiv, Pharmavite, Sofidel and Honda's battery production plant in Jeffersonville, which was too far from Columbus to be included in the AGC report. "The John Glenn Columbus International Airport project will start late next year," Mooney said. "That's on the horizon. Every sector in this community, whether health care or commercial or data centers, will all be going hard for three, four, five years minimum." https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/07/07/columbus-trails-only-dallas-and-new-york-in-construction-job-growth/70384785007/

It appears the Golden Bear Center will (finally) be coming down soon... From 614now: "...According to a statement shared by owner Collin Gawel, the coffee and breakfast spot (Colin's Coffee) will close its doors for good on Aug. 20th. The plaza has been a redevelopment project in the works for several years, and now it appears the project will be moving forward. Yesterday, Arcadia Development announced it had completed the land acquisition for the redevelopment. Arcadia said that demolition, and later new construction, for the project will begin soon." https://614now.com/2023/food-drink/longstanding-upper-arlington-coffee-shop-and-eatery-announces-closure-with-new-development-on-the-horizon

Time running out for local road improvements before Intel begins computer chip production "The clock is ticking for local governments to establish a reliable road network around the Intel Corp. development, which plans to begin production in two years. A traffic study, released by MS Consultants earlier this year, showed county roads with a few hundred vehicles a day carrying more than 7,000 in two years. By 2050, according to the study: There will be 38,000 vehicles a day on U.S. 62 on the edge of Johnstown and 40,000 near the county line. Mink Street traffic will more than quadruple to 30,000 vehicles a day. Clover Valley Road will have 28,000 and Duncan Plains 21,000. Licking County officials were anxiously awaiting final approval last week of the state budget, which could include $24 million in funding for county road improvements around the development. A $24 million county request for the TID includes five road projects, mostly north and east of the Intel area, on Clover Valley, Duncan Plains, Green Chapel and County Line roads, as well as a study of intersections on U.S. 62. Another key improvement would involve two roads that would combine to divert Ohio 37 traffic around downtown Johnstown. The 6 miles of improved roads would be Duncan Plains from Ohio 310 to U.S. 62 and Clover Valley from U.S. 62 to Ohio 37." https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2023/07/03/licking-county-new-albany-aim-to-finish-road-projects-near-intel-site/70372273007/

The New Albany Company seeks annexation of 286 acres from Monroe Township into Johnstown "The New Albany Co., which has developed thousands of Licking County acres annexed into the city of New Albany, now plans to develop a 286-acre Monroe Township site soon to be annexed into Johnstown. The property lies immediately north of the Intel Corp. site, where construction on a $20 billion computer chip manufacturing facility continues. The area requested for annexation includes land north of Green Chapel Road, stretching from Clover Valley Road to Mink Street, and south of Duncan Plains Road. The annexation will bring Johnstown south to the New Albany city limits on Green Chapel Road. "The request to annex this acreage into Johnstown is to support future development that positions Johnstown to attract quality growth... Rubey said. "Should the annexation into Johnstown be approved, we will focus on creating a mixed-use development plan for the property which is located at the gateway to Intel." New Albany annexations of Jersey Township land have accelerated since the Jan. 21, 2022, Intel announcement for the Licking County development. Until now, the annexations have not crossed into Monroe Township." https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2023/07/02/new-albany-company-seeks-286-acre-annexation-into-city-of-johnstown/70371196007/

Amazon to spend $7.8B to expand data operations in Central Ohio "Amazon is poised to make the second-largest private sector investment in state history, announcing Monday that it will spend an estimated $7.8 billion over the next six years to build data center operations in Central Ohio. Only Intel's $20-billion investment to build two semiconductor factories in New Albany is bigger. Amazon did not say how many data centers it will build, or where they will be built. A single data center can cost at least several hundred million dollars. The state says Amazon is considering numerous locations. The Dispatch reported in January that Amazon bought nearly 400 acres along Beech Road NW near the Intel site in New Albany for $116.6 million. It has not released any plans for the site. Amazon now operates seven data centers in Central Ohio, three each in New Albany and Hilliard and one in Dublin, according to Baxtel.com, a site that tracks data center development." https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/economy/2023/06/26/where-will-amazon-spend-7-8-billion-in-central-ohio/70356215007/

Refreshing quote of the week: Q- "I’ve heard you say that there are a million more people coming to Central Ohio, and you want them all to live in Whitehall. Why does the city embrace population growth while some other communities fear it?" A- "I don’t understand people who go to a community and then want to close the door behind them. In Whitehall, we’re anti-NIMBY. We’re YIMBY. We’re going to bring people along with us and we’re going to challenge the NIMBYism. We want Whitehall to be the community of first choice for everyone, regardless of your family structure, your ethnicity, your lot in life, your employment, any of that." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/06/23/whitehall-city-administrator-zach-woodruff.html

Intel, Ohio finalize details on $600 million grant for New Albany project "Intel and the state announced on Friday that they have finalized the details over a $600 million grant that the state is giving the semiconductor company to help finance the first two factories it is building in New Albany. The grant is part of the more than $2 billion in incentives the state has previously said it is providing for the $20 billion project, the state's biggest economic development project. The state has called the $600 million a reshoring grant meant to bring production of the tiny devices back to the U.S. that power everything from cellphones to cars to military equipment. The industry has said the cost of building the plants in the U.S. is 20%-30% higher than in Asia. The initial manufacturing facilities (known in the industry as FABs or foundries) will be located on a 926-acre site in New Albany, but the impact will be felt across Ohio. Prior to announcing its Central Ohio campus – dubbed Ohio One – last year, 169 suppliers throughout the state had a business relationship with Intel. Since then, the company has added another 75 homegrown suppliers to help support the supply chain." https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/manufacturing/2023/06/23/the-state-is-providing-2-billion-in-incentives-to-intel/70352206007/

Recent picture of the continuing construction on the plaza at Gravity 2.0 from one of the decks https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/06/20/new-phase-of-gravity-project-expected-to-include-four-restaurants/70336857007/

Continental Real Estate Cos. could develop East Main Street site in Bexley "Frank Kass of Continental Real Estate Cos. is under contract to buy about 3 acres in Bexley from Capital University. The 2160 to 2184 E. Main St. site is home to the Trinity Lutheran Seminary Apartments, which sit between Bexley City Hall and Bexley Gateway. Kass is proposing a mixed-use project with 219 apartments, 9,000 square feet of ground floor retail and 12,000 square feet of office space. He's also planning a parking structure with about 300 spaces. The sale is not yet closed. The proposed project still has to go through processes with the city of Bexley to get plans and zoning approved. Kass said he is also working with the city and schools to potentially get tax increment financing to help build the parking garage." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/06/23/bexley-main-street-sale-capital-unviersity-kass.html

Few more details now available on exactly where Microsoft will build its Data Center in New Albany... "The Microsoft Corporation's purchase of 183 acres in western Licking County was officially recorded Tuesday, according to the Licking County Auditor's Office. Microsoft paid $56.9 million, or $310,000 per acre, for the city of New Albany property located between Beech Road and the Licking-Franklin County line. The land is north of Fitzwilliam Lane N.W., and less than a mile south of U.S. 62. The property had been owned by New Albany Company affiliate MBJ Holdings, which purchased it June 5. Immediately north of the Microsoft property, between U.S. 62 and the new Microsoft land, is 201 acres purchased Jan. 17 by Amazon Data Services Inc. for $116 million, or about $580,000 per acre." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2023/06/20/microsoft-pays-57-million-for-183-acres-in-western-licking-county/70339759007/