Luvcbus

Ohio State joins 11 Midwest institutions to launch semiconductor-focused network "The Ohio State University will partner with colleges and universities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana to form the Midwest Regional Network to Address National Needs in Semiconductor and Microelectronics. The network will collaboratively develop innovative solutions in higher education to best support the onshoring of the advanced semiconductor and microelectronics industry and address the industries’ research and workforce needs. Global disruptions that sparked significant shortages underscored the need for substantial investment and growth in the domestic semiconductor industry so the U.S. can remain competitive," said Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson. "This powerhouse network of research and academic excellence will fuel transformative scientific exploration and economic development while also preparing the workforce of the future. Through this collective approach we will maximize the potential of our individual institutions and make our Silicon Heartland vision a reality." The network was formed following a two-day workshop in April hosted by Ohio State. It is a recognition of the recent decision by Intel Corporation to build new, leading-edge chip factories in Ohio and to address the broader, national efforts to promote U.S. leadership in semiconductors and microelectronics. "This multibillion-dollar investment in the Midwest presents an incredible opportunity for our partner colleges and universities," said Grace Wang, Ohio State’s executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge. "We face global competition for talent to stay at the leading edge for research and development. Only through collaboration can we truly realize the promise this opportunity affords us." https://news.osu.edu/ohio-state-joins-11-midwest-institutions-to-launch-semiconductor-focused-network/

Grandview, NBBJ refining plan for Goodale West area "A draft of a plan for how the area known as "Goodale West" might be redeveloped is being refined. The areas are three hubs identified as being districts with potential for redevelopment and activities that would attract people, Wray said. Those hubs include a municipal hub which includes the Goodale West district; an education hub on and near Third Avenue and the Grandview Heights Schools' grade 4-12 campus; and the emerging hub on and near Northwest Boulevard and Pierce Field Park. Goodale West is a 6.5-acre area south of where the Grandview Crossing development is being built and adjacent to the parcel on the southeast corner of Grandview Avenue and Goodale Boulevard – the proposed site for the new municipal complex the city is planning. Those projects are giving new context to the Goodale West area, which runs from Kramer Avenue on the east to Grandview Avenue on the west, Koelker said. "The hope is that in the future, the existing rail line in the district could be converted into a rails-to-trail bike and pedestrian way," she said. Mixed-use development featuring retail and restaurants could front both Goodale and the trail, Koelker said. Among the amenities in the district are Wyman Woods and McKinley Field parks; the Grandview Center, which is proposed to be relocated to McKinley; the municipal pool and the new municipal complex. All are conducive to encouraging mixed-use development with restaurants, coffee shops and retail, Wray said." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/grandview-heights/2022/08/04/grandview-nbbj-refining-plan-goodale-west-area/10173243002/

Yes!!! It just passed!! It now moves to President Biden's desk. Exciting times for Central Ohio!

Final vote in the House on the CHIPS Act happening right now! (It's on C-SPAN if you're interested in following along)

According to CNN- it's still expected to pass, but the vote will be much closer than originally thought: "There are still expected to be some House Republicans who will vote for the plan, but a senior GOP source says the vote will be close -- especially if some House progressives align with Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and vote against the bill. A senior Democratic aide told CNN the so-called "Chips" bill is expected to still pass. Pramila Jayapal, the chairwoman for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Wednesday she hadn't whipped her members over the legislation, but highlighted discussions with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, whose been the Biden administration's chief advocate for the package, as a sign that progressives will likely back it." https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/28/politics/house-vote-chips-bill-semiconductor/index.html

For those of us hoping the CHIPS Act gets passed through the House, and ultimately signed into law, things just got a little dicier... House GOP moves to oppose CHIPS-Plus bill in rebuke to Manchin deal "House Republican leadership is urging members of its conference to vote against a bill to bolster the domestic chip manufacturing industry and fund scientific research, a reversal from its position earlier in the day which comes hours after Senate Democrats struck a deal on a multi-billion dollar reconciliation package. In a memo to all House GOP offices Wednesday night, leadership recommended that Republican lawmakers vote against the CHIPS-Plus Act, which passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote earlier in the day. The announcement came shortly after Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a $369 billion deal on a climate, taxes and health package following months of intra-party negotiations — an agreement that appears to be driving House GOP’s opposition to the CHIPS-Plus bill. When asked Wednesday if Democrats have enough votes to pass the semiconductor bill alone if Republicans were to oppose the measure, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told The Hill, “I hope so.” https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3577342-whip-lash-house-gop-moves-to-oppose-chips-plus-bill-in-rebuke-to-manchin-deal/

The House now plans to vote on the CHIPS and Science Act tomorrow... "The House of Representatives plans to vote on Thursday on the long-awaited bill after the Senate passed it on a 64 to 33 bipartisan vote..." https://www.reuters.com/business/majority-us-senate-backs-bill-boosting-chipmakers-compete-with-china-2022-07-27/ ... And Pelosi suggests they have the votes for passage... “The House Rules Committee will meet shortly to take up the CHIPS and Science Act. Then, the House will proudly pass this essential legislation and send it to President Biden to be signed into law.” https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/72722-2

Me too a little bit. But the way things were looking just a month or two ago, I thought it was possible that we might end up just getting the two. I definitely would love ten, but eight isn't too shabby!

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has said that with the passage of the CHIPS Act they will put at least eight fabs here. A couple weeks ago on the news, I heard him say it could ultimately be a total of ten. The eight are mentioned here: "Intel has selected a 1,000-acre site in New Albany, Ohio, to be its third major US chipmaking location, with construction beginning this year and operations starting in 2025. Intel has committed to spend $20 billion on two chip fabrication facilities, or fabs, but ultimately expects a total of eight fabs in a plan that could reach $100 billion." https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/intels-100b-ohio-megafab-could-become-worlds-largest-chip-plant/

Senate to hold final vote on Chips-plus bill tomorrow morning at 11:30... Chips-plus’ bill advances toward final passage in Senate "An economic competitiveness package meant to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research is on track to pass the Senate this week after overcoming a filibuster on Tuesday. The Senate voted 64-32 to invoke cloture, limiting debate on the measure and teeing it up for final passage by Wednesday, in time for the House to send it to President Joe Biden’s desk before the August recess. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said in floor remarks ahead of Tuesday’s vote that it would set up work to wrap on the bill “before the end of the week.” Schumer said the moment was several years in the making and described the package as “one of the most consequential bipartisan achievements of this Congress.” The procedural vote to move forward with the bill known as "chips-plus" was delayed after severe thunderstorms disrupted senators commuting back to Washington on Monday evening. Senators gave unanimous consent Tuesday night to speed up final passage to Wednesday, after they vote on a budget point of order that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is expected to raise. The two votes are set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday." https://rollcall.com/2022/07/26/chips-plus-bill-advances-toward-final-passage-in-senate/

Update: "Columbus City Council on Monday gave the go-ahead for water supply crucial to Intel Corp.'s planned New Albany semiconductor complex. Columbus' council approved the deal unanimously in the last meeting before the body's August recess. Now it's back to New Albany for a final vote." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/25/intel-impact-columbus-city-council-water-sewer.html

Senate postpones key vote on bill to fund U.S.-made computer chips until tomorrow "Severe weather will delay the Senate’s push to quickly pass funding to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing and boost U.S. competitiveness with China, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday. The bill was expected to clear a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Monday evening, with a final vote anticipated Tuesday or Wednesday. But Schumer announced on the Senate floor Monday evening that he would postpone the vote until Tuesday morning. He cited “a number of severe thunderstorms on the East Coast” that have “disrupted the travel plans of a significant number of senators.” The so-called cloture vote to break the legislative filibuster is now expected at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. If it passes the Senate as expected, the House will then take up the legislation. Supporters of the bill hope Congress will pass it and send it to President Joe Biden for his signature before the August recess, which begins in two weeks." https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/25/senate-postpones-chips-bill-vote-due-to-severe-thunderstorms.html

"A release from Jackie O's notes the inside bar and outdoor patio are scheduled to open in September." https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/03/01/jackie-os-sets-opening-date-columbus-pub/9330210002/

It appears the Senate could move on to a final vote on funding for the CHIPS Act by Tuesday or Wednesday: Chips funding bill faces a final vote in Senate this week Legislation includes $52 billion to subsidize chip manufacturing and research, and tens of billions more for science and tech spending... "A long-running push to provide $52 billion in subsidies to domestic semiconductor manufacturers faces a final vote in the Senate this week via a bill that also includes tens of billions of dollars for the National Science Foundation and regional tech start-ups. The Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote Monday on the new legislation. If it wins the 60 votes needed to clear that bar, it would move on to a final vote by Tuesday or Wednesday. Debate would then move to the House." https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/24/chips-act-senate-vote/

I thought it was 400 units but I guess it's actually 288 units. Anyways, it's mentioned here: “We think there’s a need for apartments outside of I-270,” Baur said. “We think there’s a desperate need for housing to accommodate the (job) growth.” The firm’s projects are starting to come in. JBM in February announced a 288-unit apartment complex in Obetz adjacent to the community’s planned $1 billion Buckstone town center project. Business First previously reported the firm has three other projects under contract that take up about 600 acres across three sites." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/21/blue-jacket-brandon-dubinsky-real-estate.html

The Lockbourne/Parsons/Rathmell area has some serious momentum right now. They definitely need to widen Rathmell (from High to at least Lockbourne) and they need to do it soon. Has anyone heard if this is already planned? I haven't heard anything, but it needs to happen and fast. I'm wondering if that 400 unit apartment building that Dubinsky is saying he's putting up "adjacent to Buckstone" is going where that old little store at Lockbourne and Rathmell is now? I was in the store last week and the lady working there told me they're moving to a new location because someone bought the property and is redeveloping it.

This is also from the article: "The transmission line project will remove all electrical towers from residential lots within the work zone. Construction began last fall and is expected to continue through the summer of 2023. The electric tower removal process will begin in 2023 after the Cyprus substation is completed." So, if I'm reading it right, sometime in 2023 or 2024 all of those huge old unsightly electric towers along Parsons will be gone!

An article in The Dispatch today about the Parsons Avenue Transmission Project included an interesting comment... "Known as the Parsons Avenue Transmission Project, the endeavor is aimed at improving electrical service for area residents and upcoming development, according to an American Electric Power Ohio official. Recker said the project will benefit both residents and a "future AEP customer" coming to the South Side, but he would not name the customer. Two substations, one of them new, will be located just north of a $300 million Google data center being built on a portion of the former Hartman Farm, located on the east of South High Street, south of Rathmell Road, west of Parsons Avenue and north of nearby Scioto Downs. The project will remove five miles of electrical towers running from Marion Road to just south of the Rathmell and Parsons intersection. The towers will be replaced with three miles of modern electrical towers that will run from Interstate 270 to the Route 23 interchange, Recker said." Wonder who the "future AEP customer" that can't be disclosed yet is? Full story here: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/07/23/aep-project-improve-power-capacity-near-future-google-data-center/7797553001/

Historic Columbus building lands new event space: Genesis Downtown "A new event space, Genesis Downtown, will open this fall on the ground floor of the Standard building at 174. E. Long St. It will feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a "glamorous, but not over the top" design. The Ohio Domestic Violence Network will occupy office space on the building's second floor. The top four floors will house 32 apartments, mostly one-bedrooms, DeHays said. The project is one of several DeHays, known for his historic rehabilitation work, is working on in the neighborhood. The developer is almost finished renovating the 250 E. Town St. building, which was built in 1969. DeHays bought the building in 2018 for about $1.4 million from Franklin University. The four-story, 25,000-square-foot building will continue include office space, its historic use. DeHays is putting eight Airbnb units on the ground floor. The entire project will be complete by October, DeHays said." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/22/downtown-columbus-event-space-long-st-dehays.html

Lol. I just posted this and wasn't sure where to put it either!

(Wasn't sure where to put this because it's not technically Easton Town Center.) Metro Development breaks ground on apartment complexes near Easton, Blacklick "Metro Development, one of Columbus' busiest multifamily developers, has broken ground on two projects this week on the east side of Columbus. The Residences at Eden Park, located on the west side of Cassady Avenue near Easton, and Lakeside Village, located on the southeast side of the city, will both have 264 units and a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Eden Park joins three other Metro Development apartment complexes in the Easton-area: the 360-unit Walden Lakes, which broke ground over the winter; the 480-unit Victoria Manor at Stelzer and Codet roads; and the 240-unit Woodfield Park at 2845 Austin Manor Blvd. The four projects total more than 1,000 units and about $194 million in vertical construction, Giller said." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/22/metro-development-breaks-ground-on-two-apartments.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=me&utm_content=CO&ana=e_CO_me&j=28464952&senddate=2022-07-22

Amazon can advance with third data center in Hilliard "Amazon can proceed with plans for the construction of a third data center site in Hilliard at Scioto Darby Road and the Interstate 270 overpass, but only after the city’s planning and zoning commission narrowly approved the proposal 4-3 July 14. Seven buildings to serve as data centers and an eighth to serve as a security and utilities building are proposed for the site, according to a staff report from the city." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/hilliard/2022/07/21/amazon-can-advance-third-data-center-hilliard/10102131002/

Hopefully this is just the beginning of good news as far as the CHIPS Act goes... U.S. Senate votes to move ahead on chip bill to compete with China "The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to move ahead with a slimmed-down version of legislation to provide billions of dollars in subsidies and tax credits for the semiconductor industry, hoping to ease a shortage that has disrupted production in industries from automobiles to electronics and high-tech weapons. The Senate backed by 64 to 34 a procedural measure setting the stage for potential votes to pass the legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives by the end of next week." https://www.reuters.com/technology/months-later-us-senate-tries-again-computer-chip-bill-compete-with-china-2022-07-19/

Fast-growing logistics startup moving to Astor Park, adding nearly 1,000 jobs "Central Ohio's fastest-growing company plans to build the first corporate headquarters in Astor Park, the mixed-use development starting to rise around Lower.com Field. BBI Logistics LLC plans to add 953 jobs and invest $56.5 million in the project, according to an incentive proposal before Columbus City Council. The trucking brokerage also is keeping its office at Columbus Commons downtown, where it's grown to 150 employees in five years, and a 30-person Florida office." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/18/bbi-logistics-astor-park-hq-jobs.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_10&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s

White House pushes for chips funding as Intel loses patience "It’s been over a year since the Senate passed its bill to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing — but with time running out before Congress’ August recess, the White House is pushing hard to make sure that funding gets through. On Wednesday, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo led a classified briefing with senators stressing the importance of chip funding as a national security concern. If Congress couldn’t agree on the broader bill before its upcoming recess, Raimondo urged it to pass the $52 billion in chip manufacturing incentives by itself. Passed as the US Innovation and Competition Act (or USICA), the legislation includes more than $52 billion for companies manufacturing semiconductors in the US. But despite broad bipartisan support for the measure, it has failed to get a vote in the House due to lingering concerns about how the bill would overhaul federal research and development subsidies. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has also vowed to block the chips funding if Democrats decide to approve it as part of a broader reconciliation package allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with drug manufacturers. Still, the tech industry has been unanimous in its support of the funding, which is expected to have a broad impact on the industry. In December, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook joined more than 50 other executives in a letter to congressional leadership supporting the funding. On Thursday, Raimondo is expected to turn her attention to the House in another classified briefing on the bill. In an interview with Axios on Wednesday, Raimondo said that lawmakers “are coalescing around the path of [passing] CHIPS immediately and then live to fight another day on the rest of it.” Full story can be found here: https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/14/23215950/white-house-chips-semiconductors-congress-classified-national-security-ohio