Construction of computer chip plants could benefit Tuscarawas County, mayor says

Jon Baker, The Times-Reporter
·4 min read

NEW PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Joel Day says the ripple effect of construction of two computer chip factories in Licking County could reach all the way to New Philadelphia and Tuscarawas County.

Farms, small forests, and rural homes dot the 3,100 acres of Licking County's Jersey Township that is likely to be annexed into the city of New Albany. JobsOhio and other development agencies are hoping for a huge computer chip factory to be built somewhere on the 3,100 acres. This view looks west with Miller in the foreground.
Farms, small forests, and rural homes dot the 3,100 acres of Licking County's Jersey Township that is likely to be annexed into the city of New Albany. JobsOhio and other development agencies are hoping for a huge computer chip factory to be built somewhere on the 3,100 acres. This view looks west with Miller in the foreground.

Chip giant Intel announced on Friday that it will invest $20 billion to build two computer chip plants in what will be Ohio's largest economic development project to date.

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The factories, called fabs, will employ 3,000 workers at an average salary of $135,000 per year. On top of that, the project is expected to create 7,000 construction jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs.

About 30 companies that supply Intel are expected to set up shop at the site, creating even more jobs. There are about 140 companies in Ohio that currently supply Intel.

Joel Day
Joel Day

"I have no doubt that the economic benefits that come with Intel will also extend into Tuscarawas County and New Philadelphia because of our locations along Interstate 77," Day told city council on Monday.

"Suppliers to Intel no longer must be in China or India. They can be in our county and our city, less than two hours away from the two chip plants. The challenge now is for us to reach out to those suppliers, to let them know of the benefits of our location and our quality of life."

He said his administration and city council have been preparing New Philadelphia for such an opportunity by improving infrastructure, building bicycle and pedestrian paths and boat ramps along the Tuscarawas River, revitalizing the downtown and supporting area schools and Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

Those schools will educate and train the next generation of skilled workers, he said.

"I have always believed that the assets we have in our community make it competitive and the best city in the county to live, raise a family and do business," Day said.

In other economic development news, the mayor told council that he and the board of directors of the New Philadelphia Business and Community Association will meet this week with Francis Jo Hamilton, director of revitalization for Heritage Ohio.

They will discuss having Heritage Ohio do an assessment of the downtown.

"An assessment would give an honest opinion of our downtown’s strengths and weaknesses, and what it will take to put together a solid plan for growth and sustainability," Day said.

The city would contribute $2,500 to the project, the money coming from the mayor's economic development budget. The total cost will be $5,000, with the business association contributing the remainder.

In other business, council:

• Heard Service Director Ron McAbier reported on projects that will be going forward this year in the city.

A waterline improvement project will be done at Park Lane Drive. About 2,000 feet of a 12-inch line and about 500 feet of a 6-inch line will be installed, starting in July. Work should last about four weeks.

About the same time, improvements will be made on Glen Drive. The street was heavily damaged by a storm in the summer of 2020. The city received a state grant for the project, which will pay to rebuild about 1,000 feet of the 2,100-foot road. The work will be completed in phases.

The city also has plans on the drawing board to build a storm sewer line to help alleviate flooding problems at the intersection of W. High Avenue and Fourth Street, he said.

• Heard McAbier thank city employees who helped clear city streets during the winter storm on Martin Luther King Day. Councilmen Dan Lanzer and Kelly Ricklic and Councilwoman Cheryl Ramos also offered praise.

• Heard Day report that the city has received a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to pay 100% of the cost of erecting a new airport beacon on Tech Park Drive NE. The beacon will be located on city property near the water reservoir at the top of the hill. The cost is $77,970. The work will be done by Perram Electric of Wadsworth, the low bidder on the project.

The new beacon will utilize the latest illumination technology to make nighttime navigation to Harry Clever Field safer for aviators. The City Airport Commission is also working to have the taxiways and field lighting upgraded over the next two years.

• Heard the mayor report that the administration's bargaining team will resume negotiations on a new three-year contract with police on Friday. Negotiations will resume next Monday with the firefighters union. Talks with the service and clerical units of the city’s American Federation of State, County and Municipal workers union will continue in February.

Negotiations on new three-year agreements were put on hold until the city received updated health insurance information, Day said. All units are working under extensions of the contracts that expired on Dec. 31.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Construction of chip plants could benefit New Philadelphia, mayor says