It’s been a busy quarter for the West Chester Economic Development team. First of all, thank you for voting us “BEST COMMUNITY TO DO BUSINESS” in Ohio Business Magazine for the third year in a row. I call that an Economic Development hat trick. We truly appreciate the acknowledgment and are humbled to be recognized. Not one to rest on our laurels and celebrate, we’ve made three major advancements this quarter for the Township and its commitment to being business-friendly. We are already looking ahead to defend our title as “best place to do business.”
In November, the Board of Trustees approved legislation to join the I-75 ESID. The I-75 Energy Special Improvement District (ESID) was created by the City of Monroe and Liberty Township in 2020 to encourage business growth through smart energy investments along the I-75 corridor. By taking a proactive approach and creating this district, businesses are able to access specific financing tools that reduce upfront costs during building construction, expansion, or rehabilitation. We are proud to now be partners with our neighboring communities and bring another tool to our West Chester business community.
On December 1st, the SPARK Small Business Revitalization Grant program was launched. SPARK was designed to encourage investment in exterior improvements in West Chester’s business corridors. The program is available to West Chester Township property owners or commercial tenants with no more than 30 full-time equivalent employees. Award amounts will vary between $1,000 and $10,000. Grant amounts will be determined by the strength of the application with scoring focused on quality of design, impact to the larger business neighborhood, location, job creation and shared investment of the applicant. The grant funding could be used for exterior painting, enhanced outdoor public space, upgraded landscape, signage, exterior lighting and demolition of an existing building. The current application cycle for grant applications is Dec. 1, 2022 to Feb. 28, 2023 with awards announced on March 15. Application periods will be available throughout the year as long as there is available funding. Applications can be completed online only at www.westchesteroh.org/SPARK
Also in December, two additional West Chester CED’s (Community Entertainment Districts) were set in motion, one in the Princeton Glendale Union Centre area and the other at the Streets of West Chester. Ohio law limits the number of liquor permits allowed within a jurisdiction (by type of permit) based upon population of the jurisdiction. The type of permit most often used by full service restaurants that wish to serve beer, wine and mixed drinks, is known as a D-5 permit. Currently, West Chester is nearly at capacity of D5 permits. As the supply of such permits becomes constrained, the cost and availability of permits can become an impediment to the establishment of new restaurants. The establishment of a CED creates a new, geographically limited allocation of permits. A CED may have up to one permit for every 5 acres, up to a maximum of 15 liquor permits per CED. West Chester’s goal with the addition of these two Community Entertainment Districts is to eliminate barriers and bring new dining options for our 65,000 hungry residents.
READ MORE: What's New in West Chester! (1Q-2023)
This quarter’s resource to know is: BCRTA or the Butler County Regional Transit Authority. The role of public transportation in West Chester is not often considered, but it should be. The BCRTA is working on a comprehensive plan to provide more service within the Township and surrounding areas. You can see the proposed routes here: https://bcrtatransitplan.com/. The BCRTA also offers a curb to curb service for only $5.00. The BCRTA service is similar to an Uber/Lyft trip within Butler County. Trips can be booked up to two weeks in advance by calling the customer service center at (513) 785-5237 to schedule a ride or use the new BCRTA mobile app.
Lastly, REDI Cincinnati notified West Chester that 17 projects in the Township qualified for the JobsOhio Governor’s Cup, more than any other community submitting projects from the region. Projects must meet one or more of the following criteria to be considered: 1) employees – 20 or more new jobs created; 2) square footage – 20,000 or more of new or expanded facility space; and 3) capital investment – $1,000,000 or more (construction, land, building.) West Chester is proud to continue seeing this type of investment from corporate stakeholders that translates to the success of our local economy and to the overall strength of the economy of the great State of Ohio.
Drop me a line at kkanelopoulos@westchesteroh.org. It would be great to come visit your business in person and see what you have in store for 2023. Follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-chester-township-ohio/
Happy New Year West Chester, where families grow, businesses prosper, resolutions stick and dreams come true.
