Reynoldsburg warehouse development would mean 400 jobs
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) -- A major development is making its way to Reynoldsburg as Mayor Joe Begeny announced three new warehouses are coming to Taylor Road.
Real estate developer Core5 Industrial Partners will build the warehouses on the east side of Taylor Road, just south of Broad Street and east of the L Brands complex in the Licking County part of the city. The development will be built on a 54-acre site that's currently being rented out as farmland -- the developer has already acquired the parcel.
"A number of people have been interested in it because it's right there on that Taylor Road corridor with Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works distribution in itself," Begeny said.
Begeny said the project will bring in more than 400 new jobs, making it one of the city's top five biggest employers behind Bath and Body Works, Victoria's Secret, Dynalab Test Systems, Central Ohio Primary Care and Reynoldsburg City Schools.
The three buildings will total about 850,000 square feet. Begeny said it's still too early to tell what businesses will occupy them, but they will be required to stick to the projected job numbers. He said it's a huge step in securing the financial future of the city.
"It's a relief because in uncertain economic times, you never know exactly what the future is going to hold," Begeny said. "And my primary responsibility is to try and bring in as many jobs as possible because I can't do anything else if we don't have that revenue to actually to fix our streets, to offer parks and recreation programming."
The site is located within the Licking Heights Local Schools District, which Begeny said will benefit greatly from the project.
"It's going to bring in revenue," he said. "So, they'll get a percentage of the property tax increase with it because right now the property tax value is around $1,400 a year. So, at 25% of what the total building project is going to be, which we'll find out probably sometime after the planning and zoning, they'll get that percentage of property tax as well as an income share without the additional need to service additional students."
According to Begeny, a traffic study is currently being conducted, though he doesn't anticipate any major changes.
"There's two entrances to the L Brands facility right next to it," Begeny said. "So, they know what the traffic is like based on those type of trucks. So, the question is, what do they need to do? Do they need to adjust where one existing traffic light is to make sure it's a shared entrance, or do they just go to a right-in, right-out type of situation?"
Begeny said any time that you can bring 400 jobs to the community is a good thing.
Based on the zoning code the city established in 2020, the area the site is located in has been identified as what they call an innovation, or job-creating, zone.
"It's very exciting," Begeny said. "We're not shell shocked, because obviously, we've been working on this for a little bit of time, but it's nice to bring something because this is going to be one of the top five job centers in the Reynoldsburg area."
The development is expected to go before Reynoldsburg's Planning and Zoning Board on April 17. Begeny said if all goes well, the city hopes for a groundbreaking in July or August.