Dublin City Council will introduce economic development agreements for three companies Aug. 10, in a bid to expand local jobs and grow existing employers' footprints in the city.
The agreements, listed as Ordinances 41-26 through 43-26 on the council's agenda, would authorize incentives for John W. Danforth Company, Innosource LLC, and Northwest Bank. All three are first readings. A final vote will come at a later meeting.
Two of the deals are retention plays. Danforth, a mechanical contracting firm founded in Tonawanda, N.Y., in 1884, opened its first Ohio office on Shier-Rings Road in Dublin in 2021. The ordinance would incentivize the company to relocate to a different existing office building within the city and expand its workforce. Innosource, a staffing and human resources firm headquartered on Blazer Parkway with 51 to 200 employees, would receive a similar package to move into new space and grow.
The Northwest Bank agreement is structured differently. Rather than retaining a company already here, it would bring employees into Dublin from outside the city. Northwest, a publicly traded bank headquartered in Columbus, opened its first Central Ohio financial center in New Albany on July 30 and plans three more Columbus-area locations by year's end. The bank's Columbus expansion is expected to add 30 to 40 full-time jobs across those four financial centers, according to a company announcement. CEO Lou Torchio said in an April press release announcing a fourth Columbus-area branch that Northwest is "attracting exceptional talent and expanding our leadership capabilities to support the transformation and expansion underway."
The agenda does not disclose dollar amounts, term lengths, or specific incentive structures for any of the three agreements. Economic Development Director Jeremiah Gracia's office would oversee the deals.
Riverside Drive shared use path advances
Council will also hear first readings on six property acquisition ordinances (Ordinances 35-26 through 40-26) for the Riverside Drive Shared Use Path, Water Main and Sanitary Sewer Extensions project. The acquisitions involve warranty deeds and easements from five private properties along Riverside Drive (addresses 7720 through 7836) and one at 4410 May Apple Court.
The shared use path project, designated CIP 22-013, will close a gap between existing paths and improve access to surrounding trails. An earlier phase called for 1,400 feet of eight-foot asphalt path on the east side of Riverside Drive between Tonti Drive and Wyandotte Woods.
Zoning code audit report heads to council
Under other business, council will consider accepting the final report of its comprehensive Zoning Code and Subdivision Regulations Audit. A draft was presented at a joint City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission work session on June 15. The final report's specific recommendations have not been made public ahead of the meeting.
The agenda also includes a Bridge Street District Corridor Visioning Update and discussion of the ID-2 and ID-3 district zoning approach, a follow-on to council's July 1 West Innovation District rezoning vote.
How to weigh in
The meeting begins with an executive session at 6 p.m. and reconvenes for public business at 7 p.m. at 5555 Perimeter Drive. Residents may speak during citizen comments or public hearings, with a three-minute limit per speaker per issue. The Clerk of Council can be reached at 614-410-4442, or residents can submit comments online at dublinohiousa.gov.
