![]() by Casey S. Elliott, Urbana Daily Citizen Urbana resident Michelle Smith always wanted her own shop. “It was always my dream to open my own shop,” she said. “The opportunity never came up while raising four kids. But now they are grown. When the opportunity came up to buy it. I jumped on it.” Smith is the new owner of Kaleidoscope, 117 N. Main St. She was a vendor at the shop for more than a year and a vendor in primitives over 10 years. Smith graduated from Kenton Ridge High School in Springfield and moved to Urbana 24 years ago. “I knew I wanted to be in business,” she said, noting when her children were younger they had a business pouring candles. That business, 3H’s, named after her daughters Heather (Mike White), Heidi (Justin Geer) and Hannah Smith, helped pay for their sports costs. Now that they are older and on their own, she has the time to devote to her own business. She plans to keep the Kaleidoscope tradition alive, with vendors who are always looking for unique antique and vintage items. Read More at http://urbanacitizen.com/news/55693/urbanas-kaleidoscope-gets-new-owner
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![]() by Joshua Keeran, Urbana Daily Citizen With the south side of Urbana currently serving as a hotbed of sorts for economic development, Colorado-based Crop Production Services (CPS) has decided to add to the ongoing construction in the area by redeveloping the former Interstate Truckers Inc. facility at 668 state Route 55 into a fertilizer distribution center. “We’d like to be open and have some type of functionality this fall,” said Steve Emery, the southern Ohio division manager for CPS. “Fall is fertilizer season as harvest takes place, so we’d like to proceed as far as excavation and things of that nature.” To get the ball rolling on the project, the Urbana Planning Commission on Monday approved a preliminary site plan contingent upon all comments made by the city’s Technical Review Committee, zoning officer and community development manager being addressed and incorporated into the final site plan drawings. “While we don’t have everything fine tuned, we are certainly willing and want to cooperate with your board and city regulations as best we can,” said Jim Sawyer, an engineer with J&S Engineering, the firm hired by CPS to work on the project. By being granted preliminary site plan approval, CPS is allowed to begin excavation or site work – includes foundation and utility work – on the 10-acre property located just west of Honeywell Aerospace. “I think it will be a great shot in the arm for Champaign County and, in particular, the city of Urbana,” Sawyer said. CPS’ plans for the site include adding onto the existing building, which will be the main office space, building a 20,000-plus-square-foot liquid fertilizer storage facility, and constructing a 12,000-plus-square-foot dry fertilizer storage building. Considering the facility will be housing fertilizer, Emery and Sawyer assured the Planning Commission that all necessary precautions will be addressed to make sure the property complies will all laws and regulations. “Being the largest wholesaler of agricultural fertilizer in the world, (CPS) pretty much sets a pretty high bar for safety,” Sawyer said. Economic impact Marcia Bailey, executive director of the Champaign Economic Partnership, called the upcoming project “another boost in the economic outlook for our community.” “The opportunity to bring a vacant building back to use is always a good thing,” she said. Bailey added the company anticipates the facility being fully operational by spring 2018. By this time, CPS anticipates the Urbana location will employ eight to 10 full-time employees and four to six part-time seasonal employees. Bailey added CPS’ investment in the property along with bringing new employment to the area is important to not only the city, but also the county as it will add to the current tax base. With several construction projects already underway in the general vicinity of the planned CPS fertilizer distribution center, what’s next for the city’s south side is anyone’s guess. “The corridor (southern entrance) is being enhanced with the new Urbana City Schools (building), and the continual expansion and investment along state Route 55 (Lewis B. Moore Drive) creates the opportunity for further progress with additional business opportunities,” Bailey said. Joshua Keeran may be reached at 937-508-2304 or on Twitter @UDCKeeran.
![]() by Katherine Collins - Springfield News-Sun Students in Champaign County will have the chance to go to Clark State for free now that the community college has expanded a scholars program to the area. Until now the Champion City Scholars program was only available to students within the Springfield City School District. Now 10 eighth graders from Graham Local Schools and 10 eighth graders from Urbana City Schools will be chosen to participate in the new Champaign County Scholars program at the beginning of next school year. “The whole purpose is to ensure three free years of college for these students,” Clark State President Jo Alice Blondin said. The students need to be the first member of their family to attend college, she said, and qualify for free or reduced lunch to be considered. Click to read more on SpringfieldNewsSun.com ![]() By Matt Sanctis - Springfield News-Sun Urbana University’s new executive vice president said Wednesday he plans to develop closer ties between the university and local businesses. Christopher Washington was named executive vice president of Urbana University last month after former President George Lucas resigned. Washington said Wednesday the university will play a more active role in the region and will develop deeper ties with area businesses, particularly in fields like manufacturing. “We have to offer programs of study that are relevant to the surrounding community,” Washington said. Washington is taking over at a time when Urbana University will shift to a branch campus of Franklin University. Franklin acquired the Champaign County campus in 2014 after Urbana University faced years of lean enrollment and financial struggles. As part of the deal, Urbana now functions as a division of Franklin but retains its name. Franklin is a private, nonprofit institution based in Columbus. Read more at SpringfieldNewsSun.com ![]() Topics covered in this newsletter include:
Click to read more. ![]() The Champaign Economic Partnership certainly enjoyed a great evening at the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner. It was an evening of great food and quality time spent with our community. Thank you to everyone that stopped by our expo table to learn more about the Champaign Economic Partnership and economic development projects in our community. We also enjoyed sharing news about Community JobConnect, a new site to find jobs available in Champaign County. It's also a free job board for Champaign County businesses to post the job openings. If you haven't visited the new site, please do so at www.CommunityJobConnect.com. (Pictured) Jill O'Neal of WEIDMANN Electrical Technology and Nancee Starkey of Bundy Baking Solutions currently have jobs posted on the new website www.CommunityJobConnect.com - Check it out! ![]() The Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP) is partnering with FASTLANE to help Champaign County manufacturers recruit and retain engineers. The partnership created two online surveys to be completed in April – one by engineers employed by the manufacturers and the other by the companies’ human resource directors. ![]() BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio – The Ohio Hi-Point (OHP) Career Center satellite program began Fall 2004 when Graham Local Schools and OHP partnered to expand access to career-technical programs. The goals of the satellite programs are to provide more resources to help students prepare for both career and college, grant opportunities for young people to discover and be proud of their talents, and recognize the industry needs so that we can equip students with the experience they need to be successful in the future job market. Today, the program has grown to 52 programs, 44 teachers, 3 administrators, 2 technology coordinators, and 1 administrative assistant who serve over 3,000 students across the district. Satellites are located within 11 of OHP’s 14 partner schools, plus an aviation program at Grimes Field in Urbana. Satellites bring career-technical education to students rather than students traveling to the Career Center in Bellefontaine. At the request of the Champaign Economic Partnership, Honda and other manufacturers, OHP implemented high school Advanced Manufacturing programs and middle school Pre-engineering programs which was a large equipment investment for OHP. In response to health industry needs, OHP implemented Allied Health & Nursing programs at Kenton City schools and Marysville STEM schools. Students earn their certificate and work as State Tested Nurse Assistants while in high school. Some use this program as a stepping stone to other health careers. In addition, PLTW Biomedical Sciences is offered by OHP at Graham Local schools. Aviation Occupations students at Grimes Field are privileged to work on the Urbana B-17 Bomber Project with area volunteers while learning about aviation history and military life. Responding to the I-70 corridor explosion and need for logistics, OHP implemented Supply Chain Management and Logistics programs at Triad Local, Marysville EV, and Graham Local schools. Further, OHP provides Business programs at Graham Local, Riverside Local, and Indian Lake Local schools that teach students basic business, accounting, management, marketing, professional, and entrepreneurship skills. Students are using their skills to operate coffee shops at Graham Local and Triad Local schools. The satellite directors are implementing IT programs at Upper Scioto Valley Local, Kenton City, Marysville STEM, Mechanicsburg EV, and Graham Local schools. These programs teach students computer trouble-shooting/repairs, programming, and interactive media skills. Satellite students get the opportunity to assist the technology departments, broadcast school announcements, create videos, operate a small radio station, and learn digital design. Ohio Hi-Point Career Center is also collaborating with Clark State Community College to embed Precision Agriculture into its existing Ag Business/Production Programs at Graham Local and Triad Local schools since this pathway has not yet been developed by ODE for high schools. Students receive academic assistance, explore careers, and participate in experiential learning opportunities through OHP Career Based Intervention programs at several locations. The job market is demanding a talented, qualified, technology proficient employee. Satellite programs help us deliver those opportunities and enhance the efforts we are making to prepare the next generation of students throughout the districts we serve. -Dr. Rick Smith, Superintendent of Ohio Hi-Point Career Center About Ohio Hi-Point The Ohio Hi-Point Career Center develops our most valuable resource, people, by providing quality career-technical and academic education programs. Our High School and Satellite Divisions serve juniors and seniors from 14 partner school districts and offer more than 30 career training programs, while our Adult and Continuing Education Division has a strong focus on customized training, providing businesses the training needed to strengthen, and prosper in, the community. By Joshua Keeran - Urbana Daily Citizen
The local Tax Incentive Review Council (TIRC) voted Thursday to recommend local governments continue with all current enterprise zone, Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) and Tax Incentive Fund (TIF) agreements. In economically depressed areas of the city and county where business growth is encouraged, TIRC members unanimously recommended local government leaders continue their enterprise zone agreements with KTH Parts Industries, the American Pan Company and the Ultra-met Company. Marcia Bailey, economic development director for the Champaign Economic Partnership, presided over the meeting and said the deal with KTH, 1111 N. state Route 235 in St. Paris, is a 100 percent tax abatement for 10 years that expired Dec. 31, 2016, but will continue through through the current tax collection period. The company agreed to commit at least $3.07 million in real property over the 10-year period and retain 92 jobs. To date, Bailey said, KTH has invested $4.2 million in real property and kept the promised 92 positions. As for taxes abated thus far as a result of the agreement, Champaign County Auditor Karen Bailey reported the total stands at $1,299,616. Located at 417 E. Water St. in Urbana, the American Pan Company agreed to a 10-year, 75 percent tax abatement (through Dec. 1, 2022) in return for the creation of 33 jobs, retention of 154 positions, and a real property investment of $1.9 million. Marcia Bailey said the company has created 55 jobs, retained 154 and invested $1.9 million. To date, $158,729 in taxes have been abated. Ultra-met’s enterprise zone agreement involves the company, located at 120 Fyffe St. in Urbana, receiving a 75 percent abatement for 10 years in return for investments of $510,000 in real property and $1.5 million in personal property, as well as the creation of 10 jobs and retention of 30 positions. The company has met the requirements, having invested the pledged amounts, created 11 new jobs, and retained 30 positions. The amount of taxes abated to date under the agreement total $27,283. Community Reinvestment Area contracts The three active CRA agreements – tax exemption deals benefiting property owners who renovate existing or construct new buildings – currently on the books within the county received positive feedback from TIRC members, who unanimously voted to recommend the contracts remain in place. The longest running of the three CRA agreements involves the 10-unit T-hangar at Grimes Field in Urbana. Since 2002, $78,749 in taxes have been abated in a deal in which Gerald Shiffer, the original applicant, received a 50 percent tax abatement for 15 years on the hangar in return for an investment of $325,000 in real property, the creation of one job, and the retention of another job. Marcia Bailey said at the present date, $330,000 has been invested, one job was created, and one position retained. A CRA agreement granting White’s Service Center, 1325 N. Main St., Urbana, a 50 percent abatement for 10 years has been on the books since 2010, but the business has yet to request the tax abatement be activated, Bailey said. If the business were to ask for the abatement to take effect, it would need to meet its obligations. These include a $250,000 investment in real property, the creation of one job, and the retention of one job. The most recent CRA agreement to have gone into effect involves three buildings at KTH. In return for a 100 percent tax abatement for 15 years, the St.Paris-based company has committed to retain 815 employees, create 20 new jobs, and invest $6.7 million. To date, Marcia Bailey said, the company has retained 815 jobs, created 20, and invested $6.79 million. The amount of taxes abated since the tax exemption took effect in 2015 stands at $44,682. During the meeting, a KTH representative reported the company, as of the end of February, employs 1,139 individuals. Tax Incentive Fund TIRC members unanimously agreed that a 10-year TIF agreement used by the city of Urbana to help pay for improvements on Scioto Street through 2021 should continue. The six properties involved in the agreement have paid the following amounts into the fund since 2012 (listed by name of the business or businesses currently operating on the property): Aaron Rents ($44,199), Clark Station ($17,607), DaVita Midwest Urbana Dialysis/Mercy Memorial Wound Care Center ($44,480), McDonald’s ($48,393), Ohio Auto Loan Services ($22,814) and Family Dentistry/Wright-Patt Credit Union/Mary Rutan Hospital ($35,835). |
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