The Berlin Township Board of Trustees recently approved plans for the eastern overlay of the Berlin Business Park.
The approval gives the green light to development for the 2,000-acre business park, which will extend from the eastern edge of the city of Delaware nearly to I-71 along the U.S. Route 36/state Route 37 corridor.
The Berlin Township Board of Trustees approved the western overlay in November.
The approval of the eastern overlay enables officials to begin attracting businesses to the Delaware County project.
“I need to tip my cap to the Berlin Township trustees for their hard work and foresight in approving the overlays and helping create this business park,” said Bob Lamb, economic development director for Delaware County. “The Berlin Business Park is going to bring thousands of new jobs to Delaware County. I’m not sure I can overstate how important this is to the economic future of our county.”
The western overlay, which extends from Sweeney Road in the west to Lackey Old State Road in the east, is primarily targeted for professional office, commercial and light industrial development.
The eastern overlay, which extends from Lackey Old State Road east to Three Bs & K Road, will be primarily professional office, medical and commercial/retail businesses.
The overlay approvals were the result of 18 months of planning and diligent engagement with key partners, Lamb said.
The Delaware County Finance Authority funded much of the project’s planning.
Bill Bishop, chair of the finance authority, said the Berlin Business Park will be an economic driver for the area, without lessening those attributes that attracted residents to the township.
“I’m a Berlin Township resident and Olentangy (Local) School District parent, so I’m well aware of how important it is to have smart development,” Bishop said. “This is going to preserve our way of life while super-charging our economy. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work by Bob Lamb and his office and the Delaware County commissioners. Ultimately, it’s going to pay big dividends for Delaware County.”
Lamb said his office and the Delaware County Finance Authority will begin the process of attracting the first round of private commercial investment to the park.
The Delaware County Finance Authority (DCFA) is a political subdivision created by the Delaware County Board of Commissioners to assist in economic development and job creation in Delaware County. The DCFA offers numerous incentive programs and has the ability to issue tax-exempt and taxable bonds for business, developer, non-profit and governmental projects. The DCFA works in partnership with traditional lending institutions and its public partners to provide the most advantageous financing for your projects that benefit the community.
