Eric Meyer named Reynoldsburg’s new development director
Eric J. Meyer will start his duties as Reynoldsburg’s new development director Dec. 13.
City Council on Nov. 22 unanimously approved Mayor Joe Begeny’s choice from among four finalists.
Meyer, one of two economic development administrators in Dublin, replaces Andrew Bowsher, who left Nov. 4 to become the city manager at Sidney in northwest Ohio.
“What really attracts me to this community is the strong community nature and all the growth and changes and good that is going on,” he told council members. “I hope to just be a small part of that going forward.”
Meyer will be paid a base salary of $95,000 annually. The amount of the benefits package was not released.
In Dublin, Meyer was responsible for managing and growing business relationships in the Shier Rings Techflex and Metro Office Business districts. He served in that role since September 2020, according to the city’s economic development webpage.
Before joining Dublin, he managed the financing, development and construction of multimillion-dollar affordable and workforce housing developments in Milwaukee, Chicago and Columbus for both national and local developers and worked at the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. and Capital South.
In an interview after council’s approval, Begeny said he was impressed with Meyer’s ability to “maintain great relationships with existing businesses” in Dublin.
“We also have to make sure the development coming in is what the people are looking for,” Begeny said. “We want a diversified economy. He’s got big shoes to fill, but I expect nothing less.”
The list of Reynoldsburg’s development projects grew exponentially under Bowsher, who led the first revision of the city’s zoning code in nearly 50 years and the creation of a comprehensive plan.
Bowsher, who joined Reynoldsburg in 2018, also helped bring the Gateway Alliance Project to the corner of Brice and Main streets, where crews began demolishing the Kmart building in August to construct a $200 million walkable mixed-use project with four-story buildings, ground-floor retail, a boutique hotel, a conference center, medical offices, a state-of-the-art library and housing.
Reynoldsburg also has seen a housing boom. In August 2020, Realtor.com named the city the second-hottest housing market in the nation.
The other finalists among the more than 40 applicants were Michael Anderson, Jefferson Township development director; Zachary Dowley, Delaware County economic development specialist; and Eric R. Snowden, Jerome Township zoning inspector/coordinator.
Begeny and Sandra Boller, the city’s human resources director, conducted the interviews.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Eric Meyer named Reynoldsburg’s new development director
