Fremont has big plans for new industrial park

FREMONT - Fremont’s Development Corporation (FDC) has big plans for the new industrial park at 2340 Castalia Road.

The land for the Harold P. Industrial Park was purchased in January and ground was broken for the new industrial park on June 28.

Fremont bought the property from two different sellers with the intention of capitalizing on the incoming industry expected to sweep across Ohio, led by Intel's $20 billion microchip megaplant being built near Columbus.

The Young family sold property to the FDC at $15,000 per acre for 60 acres. The other purchase came from the county commissioners, which sold their portion of the land — 90 acres — also for $15,000 per acre. About 130 acres of the 150 acre property will be usable for industry.

Bob Gross, Fremont’s economic development director, said, the land was paid for with a $500,000 grant from the State of Ohio and through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.

President Joe Biden’s 2021 American Rescue Plan Act was a $1.9 trillion-dollar national relief package and Fremont received a total of $1.6 million.

"$1.2 million of that was put into that to help with the development," Gross said. "And the city will recoup its costs after the land is developed and sold. I think all debts are going to be easily paid back in less than five years.”

If all sites sell, FDC could recoup nearly $4.9 million

The FDC reported in a recent briefing that the industrial park prefers 10-acre minimum sites for users, but smaller purchases will be considered. The land is on sale for $37,500 per acre, which at capacity could bring in a total of $4,875,000.

Bark Creek Center, the last industrial park built in the city, was built starting in 1991.

Part of the reason FDC is developing the Harold P. Young industrial park — a change from the typical process of buying, marketing, and selling land — is to attract ready-to-build businesses.

“The city of Fremont is out of industrial land. … We have missed out on businesses, good-paying jobs coming to Fremont because we haven’t had the industrial space available,” Gross sasid.

Mayor Danny Sanchez said, “The industrial park is being built to continue with our 'Think Fremont' plan that was created several years ago. We are going to continue to collaborate with other private and public sectors to make Fremont, Ohio, a premier location in Northwest Ohio to do business. Our goal is to retain and create jobs that will ultimately help our income tax base and encourage those to live, work and play in Fremont, Ohio.”

Water and sewer projects for the site have already started; the process is scheduled to continue into September and October.

“We are developing the land with water, sewer, gas, electric and are recouping our cost at our sale price, on the back end of that to pay the city back," the mayor said. "So the city is kind of functioning as the bank, as the development group develops this land on behalf of the city.”

Gross estimated that the industrial park would bring approximately 850 jobs. “The size of Harold P. Young Industrial Park is about the same size as the Bark Creek Industrial Park," he said.

Well-paying jobs should boost city's coffers

"There are about 800 to 900 hundred jobs in that industrial park… and because the number of jobs, especially well-paying jobs, are really important to the city," Gross added.

"Eighty percent of our general fund comes off income tax revenue, we will be somewhat selective with property," he said. "We have to protect our investment, and we’re trying to protect our motivation ― which is creating jobs."

"We’re not just going to be selling to the first one to come in," Gross said. "We want to know your plan, your project, and if that’s the right fit for Fremont.”

While there are no businesses secured yet, Gross said a half dozen prospective buyers are asking about the industrial park.

Due to the microchip maker Intel planning a $20 billion megasite in Licking County, near Columbus, there has been an increased need for businesses and industries across the state to help with supply chain and logistics for the new tech company’s 2025 launch.

“We’re hearing from JobsOhio, which is state level, ‘Hey, even though this is in Southeast Ohio, people in Northwest Ohio, you need to be ready'," Gross said. "Suppliers through Intel are going to relocate to the state of Ohio. So there’s a bit of a domino effect if you can land one big business, you get a lot of suppliers to that big business.”

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Fremont's new industrial park expected to create 850 well-paying jobs