Evaluation continues on Paulding County brownfield sites

Paulding County Economic Development Press Release                               February 22, 2023

Evaluation continues on Paulding County brownfield sites  

PAULDING – The Paulding County Land Reutilization Committee (Land Bank) recently met for their February meeting.  In addition to committee members, guests included the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program EPA consultant Matt Wagner, with Tetra Tech, and Estee Miller, with Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO).

Miller started the meeting updating the committee on many of the Ohio Blight program properties and introducing several agenda items that required decision and further discussion.  In addition, some of the projects needed some legal counsel with county prosecutor Joe Burkard.

The group was then updated by Wagner on the Brownfield clean-up projects in the county.  The project updates included: the Paulding Theatre and adjoining Noneman building, the 30-acre former Grizzley Asbestos Brake manufacturing facility, the 30-acre former Stokely Manufacturing facility, the Antwerp Park Station Bar building demolition; the Antwerp Sunoco gas station on West River Street, and the Grover Hill Depot building.  Many of these properties are awaiting final approvals from Ohio EPA testing, although the Grizzley property has been approved.  The EPA testing determined the required soil cap over all buried contaminants is solid and in place.  The group now awaits Army Corp of engineer approval to level ponds on the site.

New business included updates from both Tetra Tech and MVPO in regard to communication from Columbus about the potential of remaining brownfield funds being made available per county, and if a new round of funding will be issued with the next state budget.

Conversation then noted a recent downtown Paulding apartment fire.  The discussion then carried over into several potential properties around the county to review for remediation in the future.

For more information about Paulding County Land Reutilization committee or donating available properties, please reach out to the Paulding County Treasurer office 419-399-8281.

Paulding County Land Bank meets    

Paulding County Land Bank meets    

Pictured is the old Paulding Theatre and former Western Auto building located on West Perry Street in Paulding.  Advanced Demolition Service from McComb, Ohio has been awarded the bid for demolition this year.  The buildings are currently owned by the Paulding County Land Reutilization Committee.  The Western Auto building was donated to the committee by Bob & Gretchen Noneman.  

 

Paulding County Economic Development Press Release                             January 11, 2023

Paulding County Land Bank meets    

PAULDING – The Paulding County Land Reutilization Committee (aka Land Bank) met here recently to discuss the State of Ohio Brownfield remediation program and updates.  Topping the discussion was the awarding of the demolition bid for the old Paulding Theatre building and neighboring old Western Auto building.  The Western Auto building was donated to this demolition project by local residents Bob & Gretchen Noneman.

Matt Wagner, with the county EPA engineering firm Tetra Tech, was on hand for the meeting and stated, “We received a lot of local interest in the Theater project and it was a very competitive process.”  The contract award was made to Advanced Demolition Services of McComb, Ohio.  They won the award with a total bid of $144,226.00 for demolition, safe removal of all identified hazardous materials and asbestos products, remaining building materials and debris.  The Tetra Tech engineer estimate was $182,710.  There is still some final detail conversations taking place with the John Paulding Historical Museum Board of Directors on how to safely remove the old movie projectors, and also working with neighboring building owners during scheduled demolition.  Following final detail discussions demolition will take place yet this year.

Wagner also shared that the EPA studies have completed on the old Grizzley factory site.  The studies were to verify that all previous work completed during the destruction of the former asbestos brake pad facility, was carried out according to EPA health and safety procedures.   The studies confirmed the site is in compliance and the property is now allowed to change ownership if needed.

Discussions also continued in regard to the former Stokely facility property; the old Antwerp Marlin Sunoco property rehabilitation; and remediation of the old Grover Hill Depot building on the north side of the Fire Station.  Following the meeting, Estee Miller with Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO) and Wagner were heading to Antwerp to open up the Park Station Bar building.  The purpose was to allow contractors a pre-bid visit and tour of the building and facility before bids are due for the demolition.

Conversation then turned more local as the committee received many updates from Miller about the State of Ohio Residential Blight program.  Paulding County submitted the most building removal bids in the six-county area with 27 buildings being removed and properties being remediated.  All of the property demolition bids have been awarded and many of the buildings are already removed.  Final payments will not be paid to contractors until spring when final ground leveling and grass seeding is complete.

Paulding County Economic Director Tim Copsey shared in follow up of the meeting, “The PCED office worked hard and made a concerted effort into these two state programs.  It took a lot of our time and resources but we didn’t want to look back and wonder, what could have been, if we didn’t try and use up all of these funds provided.  Some of these buildings and properties were absolutely a working part of our Paulding County history and meant a lot to many of the people in the county.  However, the buildings and land have seen their best days go by.  It was time to clean up and provide the opportunity to for a fresh start.”

It was shared by Miller that there could be a possibility of this program coming around again.  MVPO has established a place on their website to enter addresses for future review if the residential or commercial blight program does come around again.

In general business of the group, Commissioner Mike Weible was added to the committee to replace former Commissioner Roy Klopfenstein.  Klopfenstein recently resigned his position as commissioner to step into his newly elected position of State Representative for the 82nd District.

The committee will meet again on Wednesday, February 22 at the Commissioner’s office.

Antwerp/Payne/Paulding County CIC chooses logo; establishes property committee

Antwerp/Payne/Paulding County CIC chooses logo; establishes property committee

Paulding County Economic Development Press Release                                      August 29, 2022

Antwerp/Payne/Paulding County CIC chooses logo; establishes property committee 

ANTWERP, OH – The Antwerp/Payne/Paulding County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) board reviewed several new logo samples this month, as the discussion of a positive branding and marketing image continues.  Alex Hindenlang, an Antwerp alum, created the logos at the request of the board.    Upon review and discussion, a logo was chosen and voted on with some minor adjustments requested.  The logo was made with a universal feature that will also allow the other CIC groups in the county the freedom to use their current entity name in the same logo, so that residents around the county will become familiar with, and recognize the logo immediately.

The CIC board continues to watch for development opportunities around the county.  The discussion this month was in regard to how the CIC might get involved with purchasing residential properties that are the right fit for getting them into the hands of future home owners, not renters.  In order to have a grasp on any upcoming properties, a Property Assessment Committee (PAC) sub-committee was established by the board to oversee and find opportunities.

Board members Tyson Mowery, Denise Coleman and Antwerp Mayor Jan Reeb will head this committee with input from the other board members and any interested residents of Paulding County communities.  Research will begin to get a list of properties developed for immediate review.

In other business the board:

  • heard updates on current owned and option properties and their status for remediation or development. Discussion also carried into potential purchasing property with current options in place
  • received an update from board treasurer Anita Bok and President Tom VanVlerah about the success of the recent state audit. Minor findings for record retention and storage were already addressed and resolved with the help of Antwerp Village Administrator Brian Davis and Mayor Jan Reeb.
  • discussed gathering potential board member names to have a pipeline of contacts in place for future open positions.

The board will next meet on September 22 at 6pm at the Antwerp Depot.  For immediate information or property discussions please reach out and contact the Paulding County Economic Development office at 419-399-8295.

Paulding County All CIC Meeting Success

PAULDING – Collaboration continues to be the theme in Paulding County and this week was an exciting culmination of that.  For the first time in many years, and perhaps ever, the three county Community Improvement Corporations (CIC) met jointly around the same table, in the same meeting, to discuss moving Paulding County forward together.

Members from the Antwerp/Payne Paulding County CIC, Oakwood Development Corporation (ODC) and Paulding CIC followed an agenda developed by county Economic Development Director Tim Copsey.

“Since I began in this role it has been a goal to get all three of these powerful entities together to possibly work collaboratively.  They all do tremendous things in their own local areas and each are represented on the county Economic Development Board, but beyond those meetings there isn’t any sharing of thoughts or discussion.  There have been some obstacles in the past, but little by little members have changed, philosophy has changed, and maybe even some old burned bridges have been mended or rebuilt.  We would like to think our office had a little to do with that, but however it happened, we are excited for this positive meeting and momentum,” stated Copsey.

Copsey shared about how the Northwest Ohio Regional Economic Development (NORED) group works with area county economic development directors meeting and sharing ideas; shared the same about the Northeast Indiana Regional Growth Partnership; then updated the group on a recent meeting with eight area economic development directors from Steuben, Dekalb, Allen and Adams Counties in Indiana and Williams, Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert Counties in Ohio.  It was noted that if these collaborative meetings can work why not our three entities working together right here for the overall good of Paulding County?

Lively discussion followed about the possibilities but it was quickly noted that nothing would happen without funding.  The discussion then turned to the Land Reutilization Committee and Paulding County Area Foundation Director being invited to see if there might be further collaboration involved to get projects rolling together.  There was also in-depth discussion about establishing fundraising event opportunities to develop seed money.

The excitement was enough that there is already a follow-up meeting scheduled for the group to meet again in August to review initial thoughts and decide how to develop a collective plan forward.  For more information or questions about any of the CIC groups in the county contact the PCED office at 419-399-8282.

 

Cleaning up brownfield sites

Money continues to come to Paulding County through the federal government.  This time for cleaning up brownfield (old industrial) sites and to remediate residential blight in the county.  The Land Reutilization Committee met again this week and is comprising a list of potential properties to review for clean-up.  We also joined a webinar this week to understand how the program works.  Do you know of a commercial or residential property in your village or township that might be behind on taxes or could be acquired by this group to have the blight or buildings in deteriorating shape removed?  Reach out and provide us an address so we can check. office@pced.net or 419-399-8295 #pauldingcountystronger