The Uptown Innovation Corridor: a new doorway to Cincinnati’s economic engine

A real estate growth and development surge has taken center stage in the City of Cincinnati within the last five years. It’s an exciting story typically illustrated by focusing on the renovations of Over-the-Rhine’s 19th century architecture, and more recently, a decidedly different type of revitalization two miles away, in Uptown Cincinnati.

Uptown Cincinnati is an attractive district with a high-growth economy that includes a healthcare hub, an ecology of advanced research and a pedigreed employment base. The area hosts 45,000 residents living alongside high-growth sectors and world-class academic research employing a total of 50,000 people with an annual economic impact of $11.6 billion.

Tracked Senate Bills – November 2017

Tax Expenditure Review Committee: The legislature’s Tax Expenditure Review Committee held its first meeting October 17. The Committee was formed through legislation passed last session (HB9, 131st General Assembly).

Sen. Scott Oelslager (R-N. Canton), who was selected as chairman during the meeting, noted afterward that the panel is charged with reviewing the tax expenditures only once every eight years. As for a schedule moving forward, he said he is seeking input from members on that and other related subjects. The other committee members are: Sen. John Eklund (R-Chardon), Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), Rep. Gary Scherer (R-Circleville) and Rep. John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake).

Helping members kick off the committee’s work was Tax Commissioner Joe Testa, who presented a broad overview of the Tax Expenditure Report (the “TER”) which is produced along with the executive budget proposal every two years. The latest TER, which covers the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 biennium, contains estimates for 129 tax expenditures spread across nine different taxes, the tax commissioner said. The total for the current year of the budget cycle is about $9.1 billion.

Tracked House Bills – November 2017

Tax Expenditure Review Committee: The legislature’s Tax Expenditure Review Committee held its first meeting October 17. The Committee was formed through legislation passed last session (HB9, 131st General Assembly).

Sen. Scott Oelslager (R-N. Canton), who was selected as chairman during the meeting, noted afterward that the panel is charged with reviewing the tax expenditures only once every eight years. As for a schedule moving forward, he said he is seeking input from members on that and other related subjects. The other committee members are: Sen. John Eklund (R-Chardon), Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), Rep. Gary Scherer (R-Circleville) and Rep. John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake).

Helping members kick off the committee’s work was Tax Commissioner Joe Testa, who presented a broad overview of the Tax Expenditure Report (the “TER”) which is produced along with the executive budget proposal every two years. The latest TER, which covers the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 biennium, contains estimates for 129 tax expenditures spread across nine different taxes, the tax commissioner said. The total for the current year of the budget cycle is about $9.1 billion.

State Controlling Board Approves $100,000 Grant for Girard Gas Station Cleanup

The State of Ohio Controlling Board approved at its meeting today a Fast Track Abandoned Gas Station Grant of up to $100,000 to fund the cleanup of an abandoned gas station site on S. State Street in Girard. The former McQuaids station, which has been vacant, boarded and non-operational for several years, was acquired by the Trumbull County Treasurer through foreclosure last year.

“Made In Medina County” A Huge Success

In 2015, Medina County held its first “Made in Medina County!” event. Under the leadership of Kimberly Marshall, Economic Development Director for the City of Medina and Medina County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Bethany Dentler, a committee made up of the county’s major cities, chambers of commerce, local Ohio Means Jobs representatives, all high school and Career Center officials, Leadership Medina County and representatives from the manufacturing sector met regularly to develop a mission statement and produce the first day-long program.