As published in Development News - September 1, 2020
City of Northwood officials are collaborating with numerous parties on a new “age-in-place” mixed-use development at the former site of the Woodville Mall located near I-280 and Northwood’s new school campus. Over the past four years, the site been completely remediated, incentivized, and is under complete site control by the city.
The goal since day one, according to Mayor Ed Schimmel, was to partner with the private sector for the highest level of creativity and provide flexibility and a good economic return for future investors.
“The Enclave represents a comprehensive community development approach that involved a lot of sweat equity from many folks. I’m simply the advisor helping them to envision the community that the residents are desirous of and, frankly, deserve,” said Glenn Grisdale, of Reveille – a provider of custom planning, design, and economic development services based in Bowling Green.
“Nowhere in northwest Ohio can someone find a site so site ready and fully incentivized, where an investor can get site approval literally in a few days with potential property tax abatement,” said Grisdale. “The annual property tax savings for a $225,000 residential property is $6,000 or more. That’s huge.”
“This extreme readiness was what helped to attract a national senior living provider to the site,” said Keven J. Bennema, CEO of Charter Senior Living.
The Chicago-based business has been working with City officials, The Douglas Company, and M&A Architects to frame up the estimated $30 million project comprised of 200,000 square feet of facilities that will provide independent living, assisted living, and memory care services.
“This project – aligned with the mixed-use amenities like walkability and public spaces, the downtown mixed-use center, and renewable energy solutions – linked to the neighborhood residential land uses add an element of resiliency that will make this campus the first of its kind in the market,” said Bennema.
The site, according to officials, is empowered by a valuable array of incentives to help offset the costs of development. These tools consist of:
The Enclave will have some sort of a “Main Street” feel and be home to a public park and community events like farmers markets, according to Mayor Schimmel.
“We reframed the retention pond into a usable public amenity that will eventually include walking paths and other natural amenities. Residents really want a place they can mingle around that they can call their own,” said Schimmel. “The Enclave represents the outcome of what residents and our planning and marketing studies have been telling us for almost 20 years.”
According to City administrator Bob Anderson, the residential portion of the site plan is not fixed in stone.
“We want developers to understand that if they come to the City that they would receive no pushback for any types of development if it generally fits in with the site plan and our flexible zoning,” said Anderson.
Anderson acknowledged the City has a big job ahead. “These are the ideas we started with, and they will likely be changed as the project moves forward. At least it’s a starting point.”
The public improvements are estimated between $5.5 million to $7 million, according to City engineer Dave Kuhn. The cost would cover waterline, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and roadway improvements. Demolition of existing buildings at the site, which already occurred, and site preparation cost over $2 million, with the asbestos abatement accounting for approximately 75% or more of the cost. The site has a clean bill of health from the Ohio EPA with two separate Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies.
The Enclave will tie in with the Woodville Road corridor project, which is focused on pedestrian connectivity and safety through the placement of a roundabout at Lemoyne and Woodville roads, a dedicated multi-use path, and improved sidewalks. City officials will also be beautifying its major interchanges – at Interstate 75 and Wales Road, and at Interstate 280 and Woodville Road. Both are the first interchanges in Wood County for traffic from the north on those routes.
Anyone interested in pursuing additional information on the opportunities at The Enclave can contact Bob Anderson, City administrator at (419) 693-9320 or Glenn Grisdale of Reveille at (419) 353-7372.