Explanation
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the Director of the Columbus Department of Development to apply to for a Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF) grant in the amount of $3,000,000.00 for environmental clean up at the former Timken site at 1025 Cleveland Avenue in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood of Columbus
The grant application will be submitted to the Ohio Department of Development, Clean Ohio Council, for consideration in partnership with the Milo-Grogan Community Redevelopment Corporation; a Section 1728 Corporation whose principal owners are Jerome Solove Development and Samstel Investment Group in cooperation with the Fifth Avenue Lumber Company. The redevelopment project called CityGate, will involve the 30 acre former Timken site and the 2.5 acre Fifth Avenue Lumber site, where it is anticipated that approximately $12.5 million will be he invested to construct up to an estimated 550,000 square feet of mixed use space with the full potential of creating more than 400 new jobs.
Environmental cleanup activities will include excavation of contaminated soil, upgrading of the current oil recovery system and engineering controls such as clean fill capping with vapor barriers and venting systems where appropriate. The site has been cleared of virtually all structures by the Timken Company.
This legislation is submitted as an emergency to meet the Clean Ohio Program grant application deadline for June 2005, and is in follow-up to Columbus City Council's Resolution No. 034X-02, passed March 11, 2002, supporting efforts to obtain Clean Ohio Program grant funding.
FISCAL IMPACT: There are no costs to the City of Columbus associated with applying for Clean Ohio grant funding beyond the Columbus Department of Development's budget for personal service consulting fees. If the application is approved by the State, the City of Columbus may receive up to $3 million in grant funding for this site.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Columbus Department of Development to apply for a Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant in the amount of $3,000,000.00 for environmental clean up at the former Timken site; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the State of Ohio, Clean Ohio Program will award $40 million per year, for five years, to communities throughout Ohio for the purpose of cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated or abandoned properties known as "brownfields"; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus contains brownfield properties which may qualify for Clean Ohio cleanup and redevelopment grant funding; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Department of Development has been involved with brownfield redevelopment since 1999 through its administration of the Columbus Brownfields Redevelopment Program and its associated task force; and
WHEREAS, Clean Ohio grant funding will greatly complement the efforts of the Columbus Department of Development in helping to cleanup and redevelop brownfield properties in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Department of Development has identified a brownfield property which is eligible for Clean Ohio Program grant funding at the site known as the former Timken site at 1025 Cleveland Avenue and that the Milo-Grogan Community Redevelopment Corporation has agreed to partner with the City to clean up and redevelop the site; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council has demonstrated its support of efforts to obtain Clean Ohio Program grant funding through its passage of Resolution No. 034X-02 on March 11, 2002; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City of Columbus in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Columbus Department of Development to apply to the Ohio Department of Development, Clean Ohio Council for redevelopment funding to meet the application deadline, all for the preservation of public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of the Columbus Department of Development is authorized to apply to the Ohio Department of Development, Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund for grant funding in the amount of up to $3,000,000.00 for environmental clean up at the former Timken site.
Section 2. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, the ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.