By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green officials are making sure the infrastructure needs are met for the business bringing 450 new jobs to the city.
In December, Abbott Laboratories announced Bowling Green was selected for its new specialty and metabolic powder nutritional products manufacturing facility. So that means the city needs to get moving on infrastructure to meet the company’s utility and transportation needs.
Abbott plans to invest more than $500 million in the facility and create 450 permanent new jobs. The site is over 100 acres at the southeast corner of Ohio 25 and Nims Road intersection – directly east of the Route 25 and Bishop Road intersection.
“With that comes some work on our part,” Bowling Green Public Infrastructure Director Brian O’Connell said Monday evening during a meeting of the Board of Public Utilities.
The board gave O’Connell the green light to get moving on the needed infrastructure – including electric, water, wastewater, and possibly a stoplight at Route 25 and Bishop Road.
“I believe these approvals are warranted to ensure the project schedule does not slip on our part,” he said. “It will also show Abbott that we are committed to keeping the project on schedule and are working diligently to complete our part.”
Abbott is a global company that designs and produces diagnostic and medical devices and powder nutritional supplements. The Bowling Green plant will produce nutritional products for people with extreme allergies and dietary restrictions.
Ground will be broken this year, with construction expected to be completed in 2026. Production at the plant is projected to begin in 2027.
Coordination with Abbott’s design firm will need to be seamless to minimize delays and conflicts, O’Connell said.
“They have a pretty aggressive timeline they are hoping to meet,” O’Connell said. “They would like to see all of our work done by 2025.”
While the city does not have final usage projections from Abbott, it is expected the plant will be a large user of water, wastewater, and electric services based on the initial request.
“We anticipate being able to serve their needs with our available capacity,” O’Connell said.
The city expects to benefit from the infrastructure investments made to accommodate the plant’s needs.
The additional utility sales will help with revenue growth in the utility funds, O’Connell said. The city should also see growth in income tax revenue from the project with the creation of 450 jobs. That revenue will benefit the Water & Sewer Capital Improvement Fund along with the other income tax revenue funds.
The city plans to serve Abbott’s electric load out of the Bishop Road substation. The 36-inch waterline on the west side of Route 25 will supply water to the site. There is currently no sanitary sewer at the site and this will require some study to find the best option for this service.
The city has proposed to Abbott that Bowling Green would construct a sanitary pump station on the site and build a force main down Bishop Road to the gravity sewer at the Brim Road and Bishop Road intersection. There are other options to evaluate before a final decision is made on sanitary service, O’Connell said.
There are currently no city utilities on Nims Road, but city officials may want to consider them to adequately serve the project, he added.
Transportation improvements are also expected on Route 25, which could include a traffic signal at the Bishop Road intersection, and possibly a Route 25 southbound left turn lane into the property. There is already a Route 25 northbound left turn lane for Bishop Road.
Nims Road will also likely require improvements since this road is fairly narrow and is not designed to carry the potential traffic that may need to access the site.
The State of Ohio and Wood County Port Authority have been involved in the city’s discussions regarding this project and other funding sources may be available to help with a portion of the infrastructure improvements needed for this project, O’Connell said.
“The state is very interested in this project,” he said, though the exact amount of financial support from the state is not yet known.
In order to meet the project needs and schedule, O’Connell asked the Board of Public Utilities Monday evening to approve a resolution that will authorize several work items:
- Advertise for qualifications and enter into a contract with a consulting firm to assist the city with project management, detailed design, and construction administration of the project.
- Authorization to advertise for bids and enter into contracts for the construction of the infrastructure improvements.
- Authorization to enter into agreements related to right-of-way acquisition. It’s possible the work will require additional right-of-way along the corridor for road widening or utility construction.
- Authorization to enter into a Construction Agency Agreement with the Wood County Port Authority. The WCPA typically assists the city with grant funding from the State of Ohio on economic development projects.
- Authorization to accept any financial assistance from the State of Ohio or other sources.
Once the city has an engineer hired for the project, surveying work can start to locate existing conditions and right-of-way. The city can also evaluate sanitary sewer options and prepare preliminary cost estimates for the utility and road work.
Traffic counts may also be needed to determine transportation improvement needs.
