Breaking ground
UPPERS PLAINS — The Meigs County Community Improvement Corporation, along with local leaders and elected officials, held a ceremonial ground breaking on Friday on a new $1.9 million speculative industrial building in the East Meigs Industrial Park, the fourth in the development. The project is designed to provide a turn-key facility ready to attract and retain businesses and jobs for the county.
“We’re excited about this project and this opportunity for our county,” said Paul Reed, President of the Community Improvement Corporation in a news release. “It’s certainly a risk, but we believe in our citizens, our workforce, and the future of our community. We want to specifically thank Ohio Development Services Agency Director Lydia Mihalik and the Director of the Governors Office of Appalachia, John Carey, for their help with this project.”
The construction financing for the project is provided locally by Home National Bank of Racine. The Ohio Department of Development Services will provide permanent mortgage financing with a $1.43 million Rural Industrial Park Loan. The Governors Office of Appalachia awarded a $250,000 grant to support the project, and AEP’s economic development division provided $10,000 towards the project.
During the ceremony, Meigs County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) President Paul Reed explained that in 1995 the East Meigs Industrial Park was the first project of the revitalized CIC.
Reed explained that in 1995 the CIC was reorganized with a dream and vision, and $5,000 in savings. “It was the vision that made this happen,” said Reed, adding that there were three individuals who had a business sense, reputation in the area and the ability to cosign and back a loan to turn the dream into a reality. Those men, noted Reed, were the late Roscoe Mills and the late Horace Karr, along with Eugene Facemyer, who was in attendance on Friday.
Since 1995, the industrial park has more than 100,000 square feet of space under roof and has brought more than $300,000 in property tax revenue to the county.
Reed also expressed his appreciation to Meigs County Economic Development Director Perry Varnadoe and assistant Brenda Roush for their work on behalf of the county and the CIC.
State Representative Jay Edwards worked with local leaders in Meigs County and throughout Southeastern Ohio to reinstate funding for the Rural Industrial Park Program in the state budget. “This is a great project and a great day for Meigs County,” Edwards said in a news release. “Projects like this are an important part of keeping and creating jobs in our part of Ohio. This will contribute to our local economy for many years to come.”
The building will have 25,911 square feet of production space with a 31 foot clear ceiling height at the center, with 2,455 square feet of office/restroom space, on 4.8 acres. The structure will have 480V, 1200 AMP three phase electric service along with all other utilities. It also will be completely sprinkled, utilize LED lighting, and provide paved parking for 25.
The building was designed by BDT Architects and Designers, with engineering by Buckley Engineering, and will be built by Hoon Construction. The building will be ready for an occupant in the summer of 2021.