Posted January 17, 200619 yr From The Courier: City to seek soil cleanup grants By JOHN GRABER STAFF WRITER City leaders will start the new year looking for grants they can use to clean the soil at the former Brandman tire dump. But first they want to get another estimate on just how much it will cost to remove the contaminants in the dirt at the 28-acre site near downtown that was once home to around 1 million scrap tires. MORE: http://www.thecourier.com
March 30, 200619 yr Hopefully we can move this to the Projects and Construction forum soon! From The Courier Redevelopment plan for downtown is alive By MIKE SOBCZYK Staff Writer Work continues on a redevelopment idea, first proposed last summer, for 20-plus acres located north of the Blanchard River and east of Findlay's Main Street. Contact staff writer Mike Sobczyk at: (419) 427-8421 [email protected]
April 11, 200619 yr From the 3/16/06 Toledo Blade: MAP Artists paint grand vision of memorial Findlay mayor's tribute to fire victims gains steam By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER FINDLAY - A plan by Mayor Tony Iriti to turn the site of a fatal downtown fire into a park has the support of some local artists who are thinking beyond a grassy area with park benches. In memory of the three men killed in the Feb. 12 fire, including portrait painter Chris Kohli, the artists envision creating a two-story mural that would pay tribute to the victims and to other artists the community has lost in recent years. "When the mayor told us about his idea and showed us the pictures, … we just looked at each other and smiled and said, 'Yeah. This is great. This is a really nice tribute,'" said Phil Sugden, one of the artists who has a studio in the Jones Building a half-block north of the site. While the plan still must be approved by City Council, its appropriations committee on Tuesday approved a proposal by the mayor to purchase the property at South Main and East Sandusky streets for $50,000 and to spend another $50,000 to clear the burned-out building to create a small park. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/NEWS17/603160377/-1/RSS
April 11, 200619 yr The mayor is pissing off a lot of people because they think he is bailing out the owner of the building because he did not have insurance on it. On another note, I wish they would have built another office building, but hey a park is better then a parking lot which was the other alternative.
April 12, 200619 yr I don't have a picture, but since I go to UF I used to see it almost everyday. It fronted Main St. which is the major street in Findlay. I had ground floor office space which was leased by A.G. Edwards, and the second floor was apartments/studios. I don't think that they were that nice because a studio was only going for $285 a month. Overall it was a nice structure and it is very tragic what happend to the building and the three people who lost their lives.
April 13, 200619 yr Ink, the only pic I've come across is an "after" photo that basically shows demolition debris. It's in the link in the following story: PHOTO: A HICKERSON EXCAVATING crew takes down the front wall of the Edwards building Friday afternoon. The city has bought the property and plans to turn the lot into a small park. (Photo by Randy Roberts) Mayor says park plans 'tasteful' By JOHN GRABER STAFF WRITER The new park that Findlay city officials are creating downtown, in the footprint of the former A.G. Edwards building, will be sparse and tasteful, Findlay Mayor Tony Iriti says. The building was destroyed Feb. 12 by a fire that killed three people. Razing of the burned building began last week and is continuing. The city has bought the property and intends to turn it into a park. "There have been a lot of questions about what 419 S. Main Street is going to look like," Iriti said. "There have been a lot of misconceptions." For instance, Iriti said, there have been rumors floating around that the park will have playground equipment. It won't. It wouldn't make any sense to encourage children to play next to a busy intersection, Iriti said. The property is at the corner of South Main and Sandusky streets. MORE: http://www.thecourier.com/issues/2006/Apr/041006.asp#story3
April 26, 200619 yr From The Courier Big development plan outlined By JOHN GRABER STAFF WRITER How much does it cost to get a $58 million development built on the former sites of a tire dump and landfill? If you're the city of Findlay, the answer is $300,000 -- and a little bit of faith. Courier staff writer Joy Brown contributed to this report. Contact staff writer John Graber at: (419) 427-8417 [email protected]
May 2, 200619 yr Guard sells off Findlay armory Toledo Blade, 4/18/06 One of three vacant Ohio National Guard armories up for sale in northwest Ohio has been sold, and two others will be offered at public auction this spring. Findlay auto dealer John LaRiche said yesterday he expects to close next month on the Findlay armory on East Crawford Street, which he bought for $110,000 at a March 30 auction. The 1928 building, which is next to his car dealership, had been appraised at $165,000. Mark Wayda, director of government and public affairs for the Ohio National Guard, said the Napoleon armory on East Clinton Street will be sold to the highest bidder May 18. He expects an auction to be scheduled soon for the Bowling Green armory on East Wooster Street.
May 6, 200619 yr Flag City Station to get facelift Findlay Courier, 4/28/06 A nearly $424,000 facelift of the Flag City Station shopping center on Findlay's east side has begun. The 15-year-old shopping complex will get an eight-week exterior remodeling which will result in a more unified, up-to-date look, according to Tom Gunlock, director of marketing of Dayton-based RG Properties, which owns and operates the center. "Architecture changes, centers become dated," Gunlock said in explaining why the remodeling project is being done. Improvements at the 319,349-square-foot center will include painting the current roof, adding stone or brick to some of the front facades of the stores, or painting the brick.
May 8, 200619 yr Akron firm picks Findlay for new plant Findlay Courier, 5/2/06 Add A. Schulman Inc., an international supplier of plastic compounds and resins, to Findlay's industrial base. Company officials said Monday that within the next couple of weeks, Akron-based A. Schulman plans to close a deal to purchase about 49 acres of land located south and east of the existing Cardinal Health distribution center in the Tall Timbers Industrial Center, and begin construction on a $40 million, 100,000-square-foot manufacturing plant. The factory will eventually employ 50 workers. Ron Andres, A. Schulman's vice president of North America operations, said a groundbreaking ceremony will be held later this month and initial site work will begin. It's expected the new plant will be operational by late summer 2007.
May 16, 200619 yr HRC upgrade going smoothly Findlay Courier, 6/14/06 The long anticipated renovations to the Hancock Recreation Center are on schedule to be finished by the Sept. 15 deadline. "This project, knock on wood, is going very smoothly," Findlay Recreation Department Superintendent Lu Draper said. It's on budget too. "We can't go over budget," Brian Hurt, a project engineer with the city, said. "We've got $2 million and that's it."
May 17, 200619 yr Mazza Museum begins expansion at University of Findlay Toledo Blade, 5/6/06 The Mazza Museum of International Art from Children’s Picture Books broke ground yesterday for an 8,000-square-foot addition to its home on the University of Findlay campus. Museum officials plan to have the addition completed by 2007 when the museum marks its 25th anniversary. It has raised some $2.4 million for the project, including a $1 million contribution from Michael and Robin Gardner, of Findlay. The Mazza Museum, which bills itself as the first and largest teaching museum specializing in original artwork from children’s books, plans to add a children’s art studio, a classroom, an art resource library, a storage vault, a preservation and restoration center, and a gift gallery.
May 19, 200619 yr Plans approved for warehouse Findlay Courier, 5/12/06 Findlay City Planning Commission on Thursday approved a development plan filed by Findlay's Dastko Ltd. for a proposed warehousing and office facility on Marathon Boulevard. The warehouse project will be located at the end of Marathon Boulevard, and will involve the construction of a 99,900-square-foot Findlay Warehousing Inc. building and 1,500-square-foot office area. Work on this project is expected to begin shortly, with completion slated by the end of the year. A separate, but related item, a final plat application for the proposed Ashland Business Park Phase 2, was conditionally approved by the commission. This subdivision is located just west of Interstate 75 on the south side of West Sandusky Street. The proposed warehouse will be on Lot 4 in the Ashland Business Park.
May 19, 200619 yr U.S. 30 group considers hiring engineering firm Findlay Courier, 6/12/06 Hancock County Commissioner Ed Ingold's initiative to form a multi-county effort to develop the area along the new U.S. 30 is moving forward. Hancock County, with the blessing of the seven other counties in the consortium, is requesting proposals from at least 30 engineering firms to help plan the route's future. "What we're attempting to do is look at qualified engineering groups, then try to work with eight different counties to develop goals and objectives (for the roadway)." The relocation and expansion of U.S. 30 into a four-lane highway across Ohio has been ongoing for many years. Currently under construction is a 26.4-mile section of the highway beginning at Ohio 235 in Hancock County and extending into Wyandot County.
May 23, 200619 yr Owens starts work on new $4.2M facility Toledo Blade, 5/15/06 The latest construction project at Owens Community College's Findlay campus will be geared to the public as much as to its nearly 5,300 students. Owens officials plan to break ground this morning on a $4.2 million community education and wellness center that they hope will accommodate the need of area businesses for training facilities. It is the second major building at Owens' new 60-acre, $17.7 million campus on Findlay's north side. "We have long believed that community is the most important word in our title, and we are here to serve the needs of our community," said Judy Ennis, executive dean of the Findlay campus. "This is a facility in which we consulted with a lot of businesses in Findlay, a lot of city leaders in Findlay to say what do you need to help further your development, which will in turn help grow the educational development of northwest Ohio." Ms. Ennis said responses included several of the features that are planned for the 24,641-square-feet building: a 150-seat, tiered, wireless seminar classroom, two open-bay shop areas where companies and vendors will be able to bring in prototype equipment for demonstrations, and two computer labs.
May 25, 200619 yr County OKs courthouse work Findlay Courier, 5/16/06 The Hancock County Commissioners will be spending some money on its 100-year-old-plus courthouse this year for maintenance and to improve energy efficiency. Last week the commissioners voted to spend more than $20,000 in a project to fix courthouse mortar joints and clean and restore glass in all the courthouse windows. Commissioner Ed Ingold said the board meant to complete the project last year, but ran out of time. He said cleaning and restoring the courthouse windows became linked with the mortar joints when it was discovered that moisture was leaking through the mortar and affecting the windows.
June 2, 200619 yr Findlay approves factory site plans Findlay Courier, 6/9/06 Plans for a new plastics plant at Findlay's Tall Timbers Industrial Center were approved Thursday. The Findlay City Planning Commission unanimously approved a site plan submitted on behalf of A. Schulman Inc. for an 81,000-square-foot plant. The Akron-based company announced last month that it planned to build a facility in Findlay that will manufacture a plastic sheeting used in the automotive industry. The plant is expected to employ about 30 people.
June 3, 200619 yr Renovations begin at HRC, costs below city's estimates Findlay Courier, 5/11/06 It turns out $2 million goes further than Findlay city leaders thought. The cost of renovations planned at the Hancock Recreation Center came in about $200,000 under the original estimates. That means city leaders can add a couple of items to the "to do" list -- namely, replacing the bleachers in order to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and purchasing a stand-alone press box. "Because we're going from a seasonal facility to a year-round facility, we have a different set of (ADA) rules we need to abide by," said Findlay Service Director Jim Staschiak II.
June 6, 200619 yr Hospital heart center growing Findlay Courier, 6/2/06 Business has been so steady at Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center's (BVRHC) new HeartCare Center, which opened for business late last year, that plans to expand the center are already under way. By January 2007, the hospital plans to have two new "cath labs" up and running, a project that will cost about $3.5 million. Cath labs are areas where interventional cardiology procedures are performed, like cardiac catheterization, angioplasty procedures, and stenting procedures to treat blocked arteries. The cost will include renovation of rooms in the Ruse Center, where the HeartCare program is located. It will also include buying new equipment, which will cost more than $1 million alone, and hiring about six new employees to work in the labs -- three registered nurses and three cath lab technicians.
June 7, 200619 yr From the 6/7/06 Findlay Courier: City's lot may provide turn lane By JOY BROWN STAFF WRITER Instead of becoming a downtown Findlay park, part of the city's recently-acquired property at Main and Sandusky streets may be used to improve traffic flow at the intersection. Findlay City Council members on Tuesday agreed to appropriate $9,000 to hire VanHorn Hoover & Associates to study traffic levels at the intersection, and offer design plans for the empty lot at the northeast corner of Sandusky and Main streets, with an eye toward adding a right turn lane there for westbound traffic on Sandusky. The city purchased the property at 419 S. Main St. for $50,000 after a Feb. 12 fire gutted the building there, killing three people. Council paid an additional $50,000 to have the burned building razed. According to Mayor Anthony Iriti, the city performed two traffic counts at the intersection on May 31 during peak driving hours -- one from 7:30-8:45 a.m. and one during the noon hour. "As I recall ... within those intervals, (the counts) ran somewhere between 60 and 70 cars for each 15-minute interval," the mayor said. "Several years ago a study was done that suggested some other changes be made along (East Sandusky), but we're not considering those. We're looking at strictly adding a turning lane," Iriti added. "If you go down there and look, the sidewalk that exists today is 12 feet wide. A (turn) lane would be 11 feet wide, so it would take up the area of the sidewalk." Possible plans for the remaining lot space were not addressed at Tuesday's meeting. MORE: http://www.thecourier.com/Templates/News/CurrentNews.asp#story4
June 29, 200618 yr Main Street Findlay gets a makeover Toledo Blade, 6/22/06 Work is under way to bolster the beauty of downtown and complete a Main Street project that began about three years ago. "Ultimately when we're done we want to end up with an attractive Main Street for everyone who comes and uses our downtown, whether they're walking, shopping, or driving," said Jim Staschiak, city service director. Light poles are being taken down along the Blanchard River Bridge to make way for 30 antique-style black cast-iron fluted light poles with acorn-shaped globes, said Matt Carpenter, project engineer for the city. Stoplight housings and pedestrian light poles will be black and coordinate with the 44 black cast-iron benches to be installed. A $510,000 federal grant administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation will fund a major part of the beautification, and an additional $140,000 will come from the city's coffers, Mr. Staschiak said. This second half of the Streetscape Project, part of Findlay's 2006 capital improvement plan, will continue until late October, Mr. Staschiak said. Money constraints kept this portion of the project from being started sooner, he said. Findlay Courier: Main Street upgrades likely in '06 (4/19/06)
June 29, 200618 yr Annexation, rezoning plan before council Findlay Courier, 6/20/06 A controversial annexation and rezoning request for a little more than 34 acres just west of town will go before Findlay City Council tonight. Local developer George Whitson is asking council to annex a 34.115-acre tract at the southwest corner of North Ridge Road and Township Road 94, and change it to a mixture of "B-2 General Business" and "B-1 Local Business" zoning. The land is currently zoned residential, and area residents living just north of Township Road 94 don't want the headaches they fear will go along with living next to a business development. "My bedroom window looks out on it," said Wick Colchagoff, who has owned a home just north of Township Road 94 for the last six years. "I'm going to have to wake up every morning and look at that."
July 8, 200618 yr Vanlue seeks funds for new school Findlay Courier, 6/29/06 Hancock County's littlest school district could be making a big move soon. Vanlue, with a student enrollment of just 320 students and a motto, "The small school that is big on learning," is ready to seek funding from the state to construct a new kindergarten through 12th-grade building, Vanlue Superintendent Tim Kruse said. For the past two years, as Vanlue school officials anticipated the district's arrival at the top of the Ohio School Facilities Commission's funding list, the ongoing debate has been whether to build new or renovate. On Monday, the Vanlue school board voted to ask the commission to add the school district's new building project to its next round of funding. The commission is expected to set its project list in July.
July 8, 200618 yr Wal-Mart readies 2nd Findlay store Findlay Courier, 7/8/06 It won't be long before the second Wal-Mart Supercenter store opens in Findlay. For the past 15 years, Findlay area shoppers have been served by the existing Wal-Mart store located at 2500 Tiffin Ave. That store, which opened in July 1991, started as a smaller Wal-Mart location and was expanded into a 196,000-square-foot supercenter about 10 years later. That won't be the case for Wal-Mart's newest location at 1161 Trenton Ave. It will be big from the start. Come 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 19, Wal-Mart will officially open its second supercenter store in Findlay featuring 209,000 heated square feet. The new store will serve as the main, or anchor store, for the Independence Square shopping center which is located along U.S. 224 west, near Interstate 75.
July 11, 200618 yr New hotel coming to NW Findlay Findlay Courier, 7/11/06 A new hotel, at least four stories high and containing up to 150 rooms, may be in the offing on Findlay's northwest side along the Interstate 75 corridor. A longtime motel at 820 Trenton Ave. has been purchased by St. Louis-based Drury Inns, a privately-held company which is expanding in Ohio. Drury plans to tear down the old motel and build a new one there. The old motel was built in the mid-1960s as a Holiday Inn. Later it was a Ramada Inn, and most recently a Travel Inn. "We're in the process of removing some asbestos from the site," Joe Pereles, Drury's vice president of development, said Tuesday. Once that's done, the 123-room motel will be demolished. After that, the parcel will be redeveloped with a new Drury Inn & Suites being built, and outlots being available, likely for restaurants.
July 13, 200618 yr From the 7/8/06 Findlay Courier: Proposed downtown project up in the air By JOHN GRABER STAFF WRITER A proposed $58 million commercial/residential development near downtown Findlay, pitched in April with a sense of urgency by the builder, is still up in the air. Contact staff writer John Graber at: (419) 427-8417 [email protected] http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2006/Jul/ar_news_070806.asp#story3
July 15, 200618 yr I am actually glad that the mayor does not want to move to quickly on this project. To add 400 for-sale housing units to the Findlay market is just too much. I am a student at the University of Findlay, and I received an e-mail from University officials and they were wondering if students would be interested in living in this development. They should scale down the housing to maybe 250, and hope that 200 units would be rented to students and the other 50 would be sold to families. They should also scrap the baseball stadium, this city has absolutely no use for it, and other very nice baseball diamonds can be found throughout the city.
July 15, 200618 yr ^I was wondering about the stadium. Are they trying to attract a pro team? Have you seen any renderings?
July 15, 200618 yr They have not put any renderings in the paper. There has not been any news of attracting a pro team. If they were trying to attract an A-ball team I would fully support the stadium. Not to get off topic, but I think Findlay would be a great location for a minor league team (atleast better then Eastlake).
July 20, 200618 yr City Council approves annexation Findlay Courier, 7/19/06 A controversial annexation and rezoning request on the west side of town, which raised neighbors' ire in the past, was approved by Findlay City Council on Tuesday night with almost no opposition voiced. Council unanimously approved requests by local developer George Whitson to annex 34.115 acres at the southwest corner of North Ridge Road and Township Road 94, and change its zoning from residential to a mixture of "B-2 General Business" and "B-1 Local Business" zoning. While residents spoke out against the development plans at previous stages of the process, no opponents spoke at any of the three meetings in which city council considered it. The only opposition at the council level came in the form of a letter written by area resident Wick Colchagoff, who has been fighting the issue since it first came before the Liberty Township Trustees in the spring of 2005. His letter was read into the minutes by Council Clerk Marty Stelzer during a public hearing on the subject Tuesday night.
July 22, 200618 yr Birchaven will add apartment building Findlay Courier, 7/21/06 In the next 15 months, Birchaven Heights -- an independent living community for seniors on Findlay's east side -- will more than double in size, Blanchard Valley Health Association (BVHA) officials said Friday. A new, 54-unit apartment building will be built west of the existing Birchaven apartment complex. Birchaven is owned by BVHA, which is also the parent company of the local hospital. The new building is expected to cost about $13 million, said Barb Lockard, the hospital's public relations and marketing director, and construction will begin in late August. It's expected to take a little over a year to complete the building.
July 26, 200618 yr New covered bridge to be built in county Findlay Courier, 7/25/06 Anyone familiar with Riverbend Recreation Area is probably also familiar with an iron, one-lane bridge that leads into the park on Township Road 241. Built in the late 1800s, the bridge is a historical remnant -- and by 2008 it will be history. "We knew we were going to have to replace the bridge," said Hancock County Engineer Steve Wilson. "It was starting to fall into disrepair, it's too expensive to maintain and it's too narrow." In its place, the county intends to put up a two-lane covered bridge, which will be the first covered bridge in Hancock County, Wilson said.
July 27, 200618 yr Developer wins ruling against city Findlay Courier, 7/26/06 Hancock County Common Pleas Judge Reg Routson ruled Monday that the Findlay Planning Commission will have to review a site plan application for a multi-family housing development proposed at 1950 Fostoria Ave. -- an application that Findlay Mayor Tony Iriti had blocked. Iriti, who chairs the planning commission, refused to consider the application in December because the front sheet listed the name of the developer rather than the property owner. He ruled that the application was incorrectly filed and therefore invalid. Iriti told the developer, Keith Ritz of Pepper Place, to correct the error and resubmit the site plan application at the planning commission's January meeting. But that one-month delay blocked the project, because a change went into effect in the city's zoning ordinance that excludes a multi-family development on that property, which is zoned for business. Ritz answered Iriti's decision by filing a lawsuit that argued the site plan review application is "vague in that it does not differentiate whether the application should be filed with the name of the owner of the real property or the owner of the improvements."
July 28, 200618 yr Jail plans locked Findlay Courier, 7/27/06 After previous problems with attendance, all prime contractors were present at the Seneca County Jail expansion meeting Friday. Contractors gathered to discuss construction progress and some matters of confusion. One matter was the expansion's control center. The raised platform area, which will consist of a desk and chair, is intended to give the guard on duty full view of the area, Tom Stuckey, Poggemeyer Design Group representative, explained. The confusion came about due to a contractor misreading the original drawings. John Clement, with Jess Howard Electric Co., stated he needed another day to complete the center because he thought it was an alternate that hadn't been decided on yet. Stuckey explained the walls and screen to the center were an alternate, but not the center itself. A misreading like this is not uncommon, Stuckey added.
August 1, 200618 yr TAFT ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 22, 2006 A. Schulman Invision, Inc. (Invision), to be located in Hancock County, will receive a $25,000 Business Development (412) Grant for costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment. Additionally, Hancock County will receive a $150,000 Roadwork Development (629) Grant to complete public roadwork in support of A. Schulman Invision, Inc.'s new operations. A. Schulman Company, the parent company to Invisions, is an international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and resins, which are used as raw materials in a variety of markets. Invisions is a new product that can eliminate many intermediate manufacturing processes and reduce costs for its customers. Invision will construct a new manufacturing facility in Findlay's Tall Timbers Industrial Park. The 100,000 square foot building will be located on 49.5 acres, and will be utilized for the manufacturing of Invision. The machinery and equipment to be purchased includes lab-testing equipment. Hancock County will make roadway improvements that include excavation, grading, base, pavement, and related construction. The project is expected to create 43 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations. http://www.odod.state.oh.us/newsroom/2006pr/releases/1600.asp
August 1, 200618 yr Family Center nearly ready to open Findlay Courier, 8/1/06 All of the inspections have been passed, and the property has been turned over to the Seneca County Commissioners. Now all that remains is for tenants to move into the Fostoria Community Early Childhood & Family Center, located on Kirk Drive, the city's newest street. The nearly 19,000-square-foot building will provide a variety of services for youngsters from birth to 8 years old. A number of agencies will have offices in the center, including the mental retardation/developmental disabilities boards from the three counties that serve Fostoria (Hancock, Seneca and Wood); WSOS (Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa, Seneca) Community Action Commission; the Seneca County Health Department; and Fostoria Community Hospital. The four groups will serve as the main "partners" in the project and a board of directors will oversee operation of the facility. The MR/DD boards will utilize the facility to provide services for families who currently travel to Findlay, Bowling Green and Tiffin for many programs such as preschool, special needs preschool, infant MR/DD early intervention, Head Start, full-day and year-round child day care, speech therapy, health and social services, plus literacy and general educational development (GED) and work skills programs for parents and guardians.
August 1, 200618 yr Birchaven building clubhouse Findlay Courier, 8/1/06 Condo and apartment residents at Birchaven Retirement Community who are looking for more to do will find it soon in the form of a new $1 million clubhouse. Groundbreaking for the 4,800-square-foot clubhouse began Wednesday evening, complete with a ceremony on the site, which is near the existing condominiums. Construction will take four months. When it's done, it's going to be filled to the brim with recreational opportunities, said Andy Aho, the Birchaven Retirement Community residential executive. He said the timing for building the clubhouse was right because interest in the Birchaven condominiums is growing. Three condos are now sold and occupied, and 10 more are built and ready for sale. Ultimately, Aho said, Birchaven officials hope to build up to 160 condos in the complex, but how fast that happens depends, in part, on the demand for them. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
August 2, 200618 yr Looks like this might happen! :clap: From The Courier Plans move ahead for Brandman development By MICHELLE REITER STAFF WRITER Findlay Mayor Tony Iriti's plan to transform the old Brandman tire dump is back on track. Findlay City Council voted 8-1 Tuesday night to authorize the city to enter into a pre-development agreement with Shaw Environmental Solutions and Koll Development Co. Contact Staff Writer Michelle Reiter at: (419) 427-8497 [email protected] http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2006/Aug/ar_news_080206.asp#story2 However, start of construction 3-4 years down the road? WTF? :wtf:
August 2, 200618 yr I am actually glad that the mayor does not want to move to quickly on this project. To add 400 for-sale housing units to the Findlay market is just too much. I am a student at the University of Findlay, and I received an e-mail from University officials and they were wondering if students would be interested in living in this development. They should scale down the housing to maybe 250, and hope that 200 units would be rented to students and the other 50 would be sold to families. They should also scrap the baseball stadium, this city has absolutely no use for it, and other very nice baseball diamonds can be found throughout the city. If they can't absorb 400 housing units, then they probably shouldn't be spending $58 million on a downtown development that includes a baseball stadium for a non-existant team. They should probably use that money to stimulate growth in the local economy instead. I'm not familiar with the market in Findlay, but I was thinking that for a project of that size, 400 units seems pretty small.
August 2, 200618 yr At first I was worried that the 400 housing units would saturate the market, but I believe that the University of Findlay is going to have a lot of students living in this development. Just yesterday, the University said that they were going to convert some offices to student housing due to increased demand. Also, it says in the article that this project will only cost the city $300K...........I guess we will wait and see.
August 3, 200618 yr Vanlue will try for 2 tax issues to pay for school Findlay Courier, 8/2/06 Vanlue school board has hammered out a financial plan for the construction of a new school building. During a special meeting Monday, the board voted to have the State Tax Commissioner and the Hancock County Auditor verify the rates on a funding package that would include both a property tax levy and an income tax. The board plans to place both issues on the Nov. 7 ballot. The filing deadline to put issues on the general election ballot is Aug. 24. Money from the tax issues would be used to match funds from the Ohio School Facilities Commission for the construction of a new pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade building. Current plans call for demolishing the current building, except for the 1960 wing which includes the gymnasium/auditorium. The old gym would serve as a second gym for the school. An additional auditorium would not be built.
August 14, 200618 yr From The Courier Contract authorizes 28-acre soil study By JOHN GRABER STAFF WRITER The next step in converting an old tire dump and a landfill northwest of downtown Findlay into "The Findlay Towne Center" development will be finding out just how dirty the soil is on the property. Contact staff writer John Graber at: (419) 427-8417 [email protected]
August 18, 200618 yr Housing development sidetracked again Findlay Courier, 8/11/06 A proposed multi-family housing development along Fostoria Avenue, which would be geared mainly for senior citizens and empty nesters, won't be built -- at least for now. A development plan for what would be known as the "Hunter's Edge" housing development at 1950 Fostoria Avenue failed to get the required majority vote it needed from Findlay City Planning Commission members on Thursday. A vote on the development plan knotted 2-2, with commission members Findlay Mayor Tony Iriti and Findlay Service Director James Staschiak II voting in favor of the plan, and commission members Thomas Joseph and R. Joseph Opperman voting against. Commission member Thomas Hershey was absent. He's on vacation, according to a voice message he left on his office phone. Thursday's decision may be appealed, and if it is, it would be the second time this project lands in court.
August 21, 200618 yr From the 8/15/06 Findlay Courier: Owens project behind schedule By JOY BROWN STAFF WRITER More steel beams are going up at Owens Community College's Findlay campus, this time for a $4.2 million community education and wellness center. At the school's annual staff meeting on the Findlay campus Monday, Executive Dean Judy Ennis explained that Phase 2 construction on the 24,641-square-foot facility is now 11 days behind schedule due to inclement weather this summer, but that Charles Construction hopes to catch up during dry spells in order to complete the project by Jan. 16. Full story at http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2006/Aug/ar_news_081506.asp#story6
August 22, 200618 yr Vanlue voters to face school building issue Findlay Courier, 8/22/06 Residents of the Vanlue School District will vote on a building issue in the November general election. Board members voted unanimously on Monday to place the tax issue, which will be a combination of a property tax levy and an income tax, on the ballot. The tax issue includes a .5 percent income tax request and a 4.2-mill property tax. Both the income tax and property tax would be levied for 28 years. Money from the tax issue would be used to match funds from the Ohio School Facilities Commission for the construction of a new pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade building.
August 23, 200618 yr Village dividing up downtown streetscape work Findlay Courier, 8/23/06 Carey Council approved an ordinance this week to seek state funds in order to begin the next phase of the downtown streetscape project. Council approved a separate ordinance to allow Village Administrator Roy Johnson to seek bids and contract for the annual street paving project for this year. Because of increased costs, the streetscape project along Findlay and Vance streets, expected to be done at the same time, has been divided into two phases. Funds are being sought for infrastructure improvements, waterline replacement and burying other utilities, along Findlay Street, from Sky Bank to Lanning Ford dealership. That phase will also include improvements at the Clay, Worrello and Vance streets intersection where the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has given a variance to allow a traffic light to remain at the location. The area is near the "gateway" landscaped area previously completed, at village expense, as part of the overall project.
September 4, 200618 yr Family Center ready for kids Findlay Courier, 8/26/06 Activity has been brisk at the city's newest "train depot," and the "passengers" haven't arrived yet. Actually, while the building at 801 Kirk St., off West Lytle Street, on the edge of Fostoria, resembles a train depot outside, only the main recreation area has a similar appearance inside. It's really the Fostoria Community Early Childhood & Family Center and its "passengers" will be mainly youngsters from birth to kindergarten age and their parents or guardians. The facility was built to resemble a train depot, in keeping with the city's train heritage, and its "itinerary" will be to offer health services and educational opportunities to local families who previously had to travel to county seats in Findlay, Tiffin or Bowling Green -- depending on where they resided in Fostoria. "We want these youngsters to thrive in school when they get to kindergarten," said Arlen Lowery, project manager, who along with Mimsi Irwin, board president, gave an hour-long tour of the building.
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