ThisWeek CW 08/13/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/08/10/saltzgaber-and-groveport-roads-rezoning-needed-for-proposed-new-warehouse.html

Groveport officials continue to see growth in warehousing business with another new project proposed for the corner ofSaltzgaber and Groveport roads.

Becknell Industrial’s plan for a new warehouse at 5770 Saltzgaber Road was presented to Groveport City Council July 27. The project will require a zoning change for the 21.4-acre site from agricultural to a planned industrial park.

Currently, the property is owned by DMH Farms LLC.

In a letter to the city, Assistant Vice President Terry Levin said his company would like to build a 300,000-square-foot warehouse on the property.

“Becknell Industrial is a national industrial warehouse developer, and we are interested in bringing a new development to your community,” Levin wrote. “Groveport has a proven history of successful industrial development that benefits from the local transportation capabilities.”

Levin wrote that the company believes utilities are already appropriately sized for the development, but a traffic study would be required in regard to Saltzgaber Road.

“The market is really active right now,” city Finance Director Jeff Green said. “We have four buildings under construction and two of those are already filled, with deals being worked on the other two.”

Green said he doesn’t see the trend slowing any time soon.

“It’s been a good couple of years. Even though we lost Kmart, for example, we replaced it with two more businesses and that momentum is still going,” he said.

Becknell Industrial is based in Lyons, Ill. Its proposed plan is expected to receive a public hearing and two more readings before council makes a decision on the zoning change, potentially at the Aug. 24 meeting.