By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County is working to create more large acreage sites that are shovel-ready for developers.
Economic development officials reported last week that there is much interest in Wood County sites – but the demand is greater than the supply right now.
“There’s a lot of stuff already in the works this year,” Wood County Economic Development Executive Director Wade Gottschalk said. “We’re working on getting more sites – we’re running out right now.”
Ideally, the county needs to develop some 500-plus acre sites, according to Rex Huffman, executive director of the Wood County Port Authority.
“So we can keep saying ‘Yes’ to people who call Wade and want to locate here,” Huffman said.
Ohio officials recently announced plans to put $25 billion into getting acreage ready for development – something Wood County officials may try to tap into.
The Wood County Commissioners’ recent investment in water and sewer lines to acreage at the Interstate 75 interchange at Ohio 582, north of Bowling Green, is expected to open that area up for development.
Huffman noted that the Route 582 interchange with I-75 is the only exit along the highway in this region that is not developed.
Huffman predicted the acreage will not sit vacant long.
“Once there are utilities, there are some big sites looking there now,” he said.
The lines will be large enough to serve customers with significant water and sewer needs, according to the Northwestern Water and Sewer District, which is extending the lines. Developers have shown interest in access of 100,000 gallons to 2 million gallons a day.
“There’s been interest for years out there,” NWSD Executive Director Jerry Greiner said last year. Water and sewer access would provide the missing piece.
Development of Wood County sites already linked to public utilities and transportation has been steady in recent years. So Gottschalk’s and Huffman’s offices are working to prepare more large tracts of land in areas ripe for development.
“It’s been busy the last few years,” Gottschalk said. “There’s definitely interest. I don’t see that wavering.”
Conditions are ripe for development, he said.
“Inflation has really tapered off at this point,” Gottschalk said.
Wood County’s unemployment rate, which was 2.6% in November and 3.1% in December, has dropped to record lows. That shouldn’t slow development here since much of the U.S. is seeing similar numbers, Gottschalk said.
“It’s the lowest since before we landed on the moon,” he said of the national jobless rate. “So I don’t think that hurts us.”
Development is in the works all along I-75, Huffman said.
At the southernmost exit in North Baltimore, the CSX rail hub has attracted the Northpoint development, with a UPS distribution center being built there.
“We’ll see how that develops,” Huffman said of the site west of I-75.
At the midway point in Bowling Green, the Woodbridge Business Park is expanding by 40 acres, with a FedEx distribution center under construction. Bowling Green is preparing to build a new southern entrance to the business park, plus additional water and sewer lines to the site, off East Wooster Street.
“That’s pretty exciting,” Huffman said.
In the northern areas of Perrysburg, Perrysburg Township and Rossford, economic development officials are working on getting better corridor roads that lead to I-75.
Wood County has seen major development along Ohio 795 – including First Solar, Amazon, Walgreens and Chysler. But to keep interest, some north-south corridors need improvements, so more truck traffic can be handled on Lime City Road, Tracy Road, Oregon Road and Glenwood Road.
Those roads lead to U.S. 20, Route 795, Buck Road and Wales Road – which have direct access to I-75.
In the northeastern area of the county, the plant built in Troy Township for Peloton is still in search of an owner.
“There have been interested parties,” but the site lacks a transformer, Gottschalk said.
