LG Chem buildings get approval for Ravenna site
A new factory expected to bring more than 100 jobs to Ravenna got approval from Ravenna's Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday.
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The commission voted in favor of site plans for LG Chem America, which plans to construct two buildings on a 24 acre parcel in Ravenna's Chestnut Commerce Center. Greg Siefert, design development architect for Geis Companies, said the international firm plans to construct a 148,400-square-foot "ABS compounding" building, and a 60,350-square-foot "ABS Technical Center."
Later, the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a height variance for the tallest portion of the compounding center. Seifert said while the building itself meets the city's 70 foot height requirement, a row of silos at the tallest part of the structures have a "filter box" on top of them that equalizes the pressure in the silos, taking the total height above 70 feet.
"This is a great opportunity for the city of Ravenna to pick up another business that will help us grow more as time goes on," Ravenna Mayor Frank Seaman said.
Seifert said the factory will produce ABS, a type of flexible plastic used in various industrial applications. Seifert said he believes the Ravenna facility will be the only one of LG's factories in the United States to do this type of manufacturing. LG, he said, has more than 223,000 employees around the world.
"There's a lot of people watching to make sure they get this right," he said.
The factory will meet all environmental regulations, he said. However, board memberBethany Latimer cast the lone dissenting vote after asking questions about the manufacturing process.
Seifert said a third building may be constructed on the site in the future.
City Engineer Bob Finney said the city's code doesn't require the number of parking spaces shown on the plans. Siefert said up to 120 people are expected to work at the two buildings, but Finney said the company only needs to provide enough parking for the largest shift. Seifert, however, said the company wants to provide up to 150 parking spots to accommodate shift overlap and future growth.
The city, Finney said, received three grants to construct Rayann Parkway, a new street within Chestnut Commerce Center which will provide access to the new business.
Construction is expected to begin by summer, and could be completed some time in 2023.
Previously, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a tax break for LG Chem, which expects to generate $4.7 million in new annual payroll. The TCA approved a 1.594%, eight-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project. If it meets employment goals, the firm would see $540,000 in savings.
A 15-year, 100 percent tax abatement for LG Chem was recently approved by the Ravenna Board of Education. The school board this week modified that agreement.
Seifert told the city's Board of Zoning Appeals that the filter box, which resembles a bird house, is a little more than two feet tall, but he was requesting a 5 foot variance to make sure the project meets the city's requirements.
Board members praised the project.
"That's exciting for Ravenna," board member Ken Porcase said.
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@record-courier.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: LG Chem gets approval for two plants in Ravenna commerce center
