Wayne Allen

PDT Staff Writer

Recently Ohio Gov. John Kasich and his staff set out on a mission to identify the top five potential marketable properties along the Ohio River. Listed as No. 1 in the state is a site in Franklin Furnace.

“Gov. Kasich has made it a priority for his administration to focus on southern Ohio and especially along the (Ohio) river, to find properties and opportunities for development,” said Brian Davis, Marketing Committee Chairman for the Southern Ohio Port Authority. “He (Kasich) tasked the Jobs Ohio people, to make that happen. He (Kasich) at some point in some meeting saw that property in Franklin Furnace.”

Davis said about a month ago a representative from the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth spoke at a Southern Ohio Port Authority meeting about this initiative.

“She told us they really wanted to focus on five key properties and there was a deadline to get the information together, so they could push it at the state level,” Davis said. “That’s been done and as a result the Norfolk Southern property (in Franklin Furnace) is listed on the Jobs Ohio site, as the No. 1 site in the state.”

He said the 754-acre site is listed as No. 1 in the state because of it’s location and access to rail, river and highway.

When asked what it means now that the site is regarded as the top in the state, Davis said, “The idea is for the state, to push this site. What they (state of Ohio) have to offer is a lot more. They people they have access to, they have companies they have access to and the reach that the state has is much further than what the reach of Scioto County would have.”

He said as a result of this listing it could lead to a potential occupant sooner rather than later.

He said the marketing committee of Southern Ohio Port Authority have also been working to get other available sites throughout Scioto County listed on this state website.

“The marketing committee of the Port Authority has worked hard over the last month to gather information to the listed on that site. Once properties are listed on this website, people from all around the world can see what’s available in Scioto County.”

Davis said before his committee started work on getting the properties listed, Scioto County was not represented.

“Before there was no visibility at all of Scioto County on that site,” Davis said. “We are also working on getting the M&J buildings out in Lucasville listed on this site and various other locations throughout Scioto County. There are buildings and properties all over this county that we have to be active in promoting, so companies can see what we have to offer and that’s what we’re doing.”

David said everyone has been doing their part in starting to promote these sites.

“There are companies looking at southern Ohio for development. We are working to get ourselves setup and ready to handle those inquiries,” he said.

Wayne Allen may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 228, or tallen@civitasmedia.com. For breaking news, follow Wayne on Twitter @WayneallenPDT.