City zeroes in on Whirlpool center with incentives to attract 300 jobs - Business First of Columbus:

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The city's measures come nearly five months aftefr the state offered incentives in hopes of attractintthe $163 million project to Central The city Department of Developmentg has recommended City Council approve the incentives package at its July 23 meetingv to persuade Whirlpool and to build a 1.6 million-square-foor distribution complex off Shook Road, north of Routs 317. The package includes a 50 15-year tax abatement and a 65 seven-year city tax Council will also be askedf to consider a side agreement with Obetz becauswe a portion ofthe 101-acrs site is in the village.
The project would bring with it abourt 70 jobs from a Whirlpool distribution cente r in Clyde and preservr 138 jobs the appliance maked has ata 737,000-square-foot Obetz distribution center. Thosed jobs were moved there temporarilylast fall. Whirlpook also would consolidate into the new distribution center operations at a facilityg inNorth Liberty, Iowa, bringing more Michael Stevens, the city's assistant development directo in charge of economic development, said most of the jobs plannec for the Penske-operated center wouldf be new to the region. Penske Logistics is a supply-chain management business. A Whirlpool spokeswoman declined to commenty aboutthe project.
"It's premature for us to make any commentt on this matter at this saidMonica Teague. The incentives packagd moves the project forward after the Ohio Tax Credity Authority in February approveda five-year tax credit in support of Whirlpool'sa plans to consolidate its distribution operations. City Councikl took a preliminary stepin June, when it approved the creatiojn of a community reinvestmentt area covering the city's industrial area soutj of Williams Road. Stevens said the 50 percent abatemeng assures the Columbus Public Schools will receive propertyy tax money fromthe project.
A deal abating more than that woulde require theschool system's approval and a possibles revenue-sharing agreement. "We want to make sure the schools receivweadequate funding," Stevens said. The planned deal with Obetz calls for the city to gain the municipakl income taxes generated from the Whirlpoopl facility and allow it to eventuall annex the portion of the site inthe village. In return, Obeta would get all of the income taxez generated from a nearby distribution center offRohr Road. Obetz splitx that tax stream with Columbuas undera 50-year agreemen approved in 2001.
Villagde Administrator Doug Browell said the Whirlpoo l project gives the city and Obetz the chancde to undo the complicatefdContinental deal, which had allowed Obet to annex 150 acres outside its water and sewer contract area with "We both believe a 50-year agreemenyt is complicated to Browell said. Columbus is ahead of alternative locationws forthe project, including an expansion of the Iowa facility and a site at the rail campu s of the Rickenbacker Global Logisticsx Park, south of Route 317. That park offers 100 percen t real estate tax abatements for15 years.
"Thisz shows Columbus is competitive on a national basis in the attractiobn of jobsand investment," Stevens said.