Here's what we know about two more light manufacturing/warehouse buildings are planned for Seward Road on what is referred to as the Morris Farm.
Who's building it?
NorthPoint Development wants to put two buildings on a 83-acre site at 8250 Seward Road at the Fairfield/West Chester border. “They may look like warehouses to a lot of people,’’ said Tim McElroy, NorthPoint’s regional vice president. “They’re not just warehouses.”He said similar buildings they have developed in West Chester Township include clients doing high tech work, medical research, and other activities.
What does the project do for the city?
The Fairfield project is expected to generate at least 312 jobs and a $11.6 million payroll, according to papers filed with the city. The announcement comes just one month after the Ambrose Property Group unveiled plans to construct a fifth building on 27 acres it bought on Seward Road to expand the Fairfield Commerce Park, site of the former Liberty Mutual/Ohio Casualty property, purchased in December 2019. “For many years it was thought that this property was largely undevelopable,’’ said Nathaniel Kaelin, the city’s economic development manager.
When does construction start?
NorthPoint plans to begin site work next spring on the geographically challenging site, located in a flood plain and containing wetlands. Construction on the first building is planned for next summer, McElroy said. The first tenants could move in by late 2024. Once completed, he said the wetlands portion might be deeded to MetroParks of Butler County.
How big is the project and what will it cost?
The project will become the Fairfield Trade Center. Total combined square footage for the buildings is estimated at 609,000 square feet with a construction price tag of $41 million and overall project cost of $57 million, according to submitted papers. “We love the city; we love our location,’’ McElroy said. “It’s a very challenging site…We found a way to make it work.” NorthPoint has two other developments along Seward Road and a light industrial/office park on 106 acres in neighboring West Chester Township.
“It’s been a great market. It’s been a good market. We love It out here. It’s a good mix of workforce,’’ McElroy said. “You have (an) entry level blue collar workforce and you have (an) educated workforce. It’s really been a benefit for us to be in this location because of that.”
Are there incentives?
As an incentive, Fairfield City Council approved a 10-year, 75% property tax abatement through the Community Reinvestment Area program. “This incentive is performance based because of the speculative nature of the project,” Kaelin said. Should the project not create enough jobs, or a high enough payroll, NorthPoint would either lose the abatement for that year or make a payment to the city.
During the abatement period, NorthPoint must also make payments to the Fairfield City Schools and Butler Tech as outlined in a separate agreement, Kaelin said.
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