FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2008

Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher today announced that eight counties now are able to pursue crucial improvements for development projects through awards of more than $3.8 million from the Industrial Site Improvement Fund, which provides grants to improve qualified commercial and industrial areas.

"The Industrial Site Improvement Fund is an important tool for helping distressed counties pay for infrastructure improvements that will make them attractive to businesses and enable new investment in their communities," said Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The fund also enables communities to upgrade facilities, retaining existing companies and employment in the state, and often leverages additional public and private support for site development. We appreciate the partnership and work of these communities to develop sites and infrastructure for new private investment opportunities and job creation."

The Industrial Site Improvement Fund is a reimbursement grant program that provides up to $750,000, or 75 percent of the total costs incurred under a project, in assistance to eligible Ohio counties for the purpose of improving qualified commercial and industrial areas. The program assists economically disadvantaged counties to improve industrial or commercial sites by acquiring land or buildings; expanding and modernizing buildings; remediating environmentally contaminated property; and completing utility and transportation infrastructure improvements.

2008 Industrial Site Improvement Fund grant awards:

The Ashland County Community Improvement Corporation will receive $750,000 for improvements related to the Hospira Redevelopment Plan, located at 268 East 4th Street in Ashland. The complex was shut down in 2006 and 2007, eliminating approximately 500 jobs and triggering the county's eligibility for assistance under the Industrial Site Improvement Fund program. State assistance will help fund the demolition of more than 300,000 square feet of obsolete manufacturing space at the project site. Additional facilities on the site will remain intact and the County envisions end users that could serve its emerging technology-oriented economy and will market the site for quality light industrial, technology and/or bioscience related companies. The total project costs at the site are estimated at more than $2.8 million.

The Belmont County Port Authority will receive $175,000 to fund land acquisition and infrastructure improvements, including electric, gas, water, and sewer, in support of the new Eastern Ohio Regional Industrial Park in the Village of Barnesville. The Port Authority is developing a new industrial park on a parcel of land that was utilized for strip mining in the 1980s. The land is currently being utilized for pasture and cattle farming and the Port Authority has signed a purchase option with the current owner. The park will be the first large industrial site in a four-county area and the Port Authority plans to sub-divide the land into 100-to 200-acre plots for large warehouse and similar uses. It will market the parcels primarily to the food production and processing industries, as well as to manufacturing, technology, steel and coal related, distribution, and local business expansion concerns. The site improvements will make available 825 acres for shovel ready sites. The total project costs at the site are estimated at $3.3 million.

Crawford County Economic Development Partnership will receive $406,750 for improvements related to the Stetzer Road South Industrial Park, located at Stetzer Road South in Whetstone Township. The improvements will make available 88 acres for future commercial and industrial development. The City of Bucyrus will construct 3,000 feet of water main that will include eight taps and hydrants and bore under railroad tracks on the southern boundary of the park to loop the waterline with the adjacent tower to provide adequate pressure for the park and east side of the community. Sanitary and storm sewers will also be installed. The total project costs at the site are estimated at more than $1.3 million.

The Guernsey County Port Authority will receive $353,000 for improvements to serve the D.O. Hall Development Complex, located in Jackson Township. The D.O. Hall complex is a 133-acre commerce park under development by the Port Authority and the Community Industrial Association, a local not-for-profit development organization. State assistance will help fund land acquisition, the extension of water and sewer infrastructure, and drainage improvements at the project site. Water and sewer infrastructure will be extended along one-half mile of roadway, and five fire hydrants will be installed along the Gander Road right-of-way. The site improvements will create an additional 178 acres for shovel ready sites. The total project costs at the site are estimated at more than $1.5 million.

Hamilton County will receive $512,250 for the Anthony Wayne Industrial Park expansion project on Shepherd Drive near Interstate 75. The Industrial Park is located on 27.41 acres in the Village of Lincoln Heights and the Village of Lockland. A portion of the site was previously used as industrial property for auto salvage and storage and an asphalt plant that was abandoned in 1975. State assistance will help fund site preparation work, environmental remediation and infrastructure improvements, including water, sewer, gas, and electric. The project will remediate the contaminated property, consolidate the auto salvage business, provide expansion opportunities for several adjacent businesses, allow for additional businesses to locate in the community, and possibly provide access to an additional 15 acres of undeveloped land in the area. The total project costs at the site are estimated at more than $2.1 million.

Lucas County Community Improvement Corporation will receive $750,000 for the Jefferson Avenue Historic Block project to revitalize half of one downtown Toledo block located on the periphery of the city's central business district between Ontario and Michigan Streets. State assistance will help fund land acquisition at 807 Jefferson Avenue, the current home of Toledo's Greyhound Bus Terminal. With a total of 85 employees on the site, the redeveloped property will have a 10,000 square-foot office facility with private parking. The project is also expected to spur the redevelopment of Toledo’s Pythian Castle, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, which was built in 1890 as home for the fraternal organization of the Knights of Pythias and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The total project costs at the site are estimated at more than $1.3 million.

The Lawrence County Port Authority will receive $750,000 for improvements to serve the 91-acre Hamilton Township Industrial Park, located on County Road 1 in Hamilton Township. The Industrial Park project involves the consolidation of two parcels of land recently acquired by the Lawrence County Port Authority and the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation, along with the completion of a rail spur and sanitary sewer improvements to bring the property to current industrial standards. State assistance will help fund land consolidation, the construction of 2,200 lineal foot rail spur extension, and sanitary sewer improvements at the project site. The rail spur will consist of an approximate 2,200 lineal foot extension with appropriate switching off of a current siding of the major Norfolk Southern main line running on the northeastern boundary of the site. A sanitary sewer facility will provide sewer services for industrial facilities to be located on the site and could provide service for facilities on additional acreage surrounding the park in both Lawrence and Scioto Counties. The total project costs at the site are estimated at more than $7.8 million.

Wood County will receive $170,000 for infrastructure improvements for the Tracy Road Site Improvement Project, an effort to create safe, adequate accessibility to advance the immediate development of approximately 120 acres of prime industrial land in Lake Township. The project will also open an additional 450 acres to future industrial and commercial site use. State assistance will help fund minor improvements to water and sewer lines at the site improvement project. The total project costs at the site are estimated at more than $1.1 million.

Industrial Site Improvement Fund applications are evaluated based on the county's distress level, the project's feasibility and implementation plan, local and private financial participation and the economic and community impact of the project. Industrial Site Improvement Fund assistance available during Fiscal Year 2008 marks the fourth funding round since the program’s inception.

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Media contacts: Melissa Vince at (614) 466-6619 or Kelly Schlissberg at (614) 466-4133