Explanation
Background: WESTBEND QOZB, LLC (the “Developer”), an affiliate of Thrive Companies, Inc., and the City entered into the Economic Development Agreement dated April 19, 2024, as amended by the First Amendment to Economic Development Agreement dated August 19, 2026, (together, the “EDA”) pursuant to Ordinance No. 1866-2023 passed by City Council on July 31, 2023 and Ordinance No. 1511-2026 passed by City Council on June 22, 2026. The Developer will develop, in multiple phases, the former Buckeye Auto Parts brownfield site consisting of approximately 50.28 acres of real property bounded generally by McKinley Avenue and the New York Central Railroad to the south and west, the Scioto River to the east, and Lake Shore Drive to the north (“WestBend”). The City committed in the EDA to form a new community authority pursuant to R.C. Chapter 349 to support WestBend. This new community authority for West Bend will impose community development charges to provide land acquisition and land development activities and community facilities for the purposes described in R.C. Chapter 349 including, but not limited to, public infrastructure improvements. It will also impose charges to provide expected services such as coordinating delivery of water and sanitary sewer services provided by the City through a master meter to the new community authority’s water and sanitary sewer transmission lines at WestBend, and by providing certain Ohio EPA environmental monitoring and enforcement services. On or about August 28, 2026, a Petition for the Organization of the WestBend Community Authority (the “Petition”) was submitted to the Clerk of City Council. By this resolution, City Council, as the “organizational board of commissioners” described and required by R.C. Chapter 349, will determine the sufficiency of the Petition, set a public hearing date on the Petition, and give notice thereof. Furthermore, by this resolution, City Council authorizes the Director of the Department of ...
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