COLUMBUS — As Ohio compiles its two-year wish list of billions in construction, renovation, and equipment projects, the Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport wants to get in line for $10 million for terminal upgrades.
Metroparks Toledo wants a combined $35 million for a new seawall, better shoreline access, trails, and other improvements.
The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce has submitted its “white paper” of priority community projects for Lucas, Wood, and Fulton counties, presenting a united front for area lawmakers. The lengthy list includes requests for new airport hangars; a swimming pool; physical improvements to the Lucas County Courthouse, Toledo Zoo reptile house, and ProMedica and Mercy Health hospitals; and many other projects.
The House Finance Committee on Tuesday will hold its first hearing on the bipartisan House Bill 2. For now, the bill consists of a single paragraph: “It is the intent of the General Assembly to enact legislation to direct state funds to projects across the state for the purpose of economic growth and community development.”
But by the time that bill reaches the governor’s desk, it will have ballooned into a massive laundry list of construction, renovation, and equipment projects affecting government buildings, K-12 schools, universities, state and local parks, theaters, domestic violence shelters, museums, and others.
The bill could see a House committee vote as soon as Wednesday, but a final bill isn’t expected to reach Gov. Mike DeWine until late April at the earliest. The tug-of-war of who will serve as House speaker next session — current Speaker Jason Stephens (R., Kitts Hill) or potentially current Senate President Matt Huffman (R., Lima) — has ensured that no capital budget will see final approval in time to give GOP incumbents facing contested primaries a chance to campaign on bringing home the bacon during the March 19 primary election.
Two years ago, the capital budget topped $3.5 billion. Typically, the massive spending plan is funded through long-term borrowing, but the state at that time in 2021 was able to take advantage of huge budget surpluses to pay at least part of the bill with cash.
This time, the investment could be even larger, given that lawmakers last year transferred $700 million of those surplus dollars into the new One-Time Strategic Community Investments Fund that is likely to be awarded through the capital budget. These new one-time investments can go to both public and private entities, which will use them to promote local or private investment.
In that arena, a private business, Nooter Toledo, is asking for $2 million toward its total $13 million price tag for a 95,000 square-foot facility to retain jobs and regional investment.
Toledo's wish list was compiled by a bipartisan chamber committee consisting of local business leaders and local and state elected officials.
In all, it contains 53 projects seeking more than $128 million toward a total of $553 million in project costs, chamber spokesman Brian Dicken said Monday. That's far more than what the region is likely to receive. The list does not rank projects in terms of priority.
“The chamber has been doing this for close to 30 years ...,” Mr. Dicken said, “We do it because legislators ask us to do it to help through this process. ... To have that reach to all legislators in the House and Senate and across all of Lucas, Wood, and Fulton counties, to have more awareness, makes it more likely a project may be included.”
The requests range from a high of $20 million for shoreline improvements at Toledo’s International Park to a low of $85,000 for playground equipment in a park in Fulton County’s Fayette.
Mr. Dicken noted that a small project can mean as much to a small rural community as a much larger project does to a city like Toledo.
The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority has requested a total of $11.8 million.
Toledo Express Airport would use $10 million of that for renovations or replacement of jet bridges, security checkpoints, baggage system, restrooms, and other general improvements at its terminal. Toledo Executive Airport just over the Wood County line wants $1.8 million, just $90,000 shy of the total project price tag, to demolish old aircraft hangars and rebuild 20 to 25 hangars to serve general public and business aircraft.
Metroparks Toledo’s request seeks $20 million, a third of its total estimated project cost, to improve shoreline access, restore miles of multi-purpose trails, and restore natural resources. It wants $15 million more to demolish and replace the existing seawall and river’s edge infrastructure in connection with the Glass City Riverwalk. If approved, that would cover half of that project’s total project.
Here are some other requests with larger price tags:
- $5 million for the Hub at Erie Street, a community space with access to healthy food and education along with support services, access to capital, and growth opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Total project cost: $7 million.
- $5 million toward construction of a 30-bed behavioral health unit at the new Lucas County Corrections Center. Total project cost: $6.2 million.
- $4.9 million for the Area Office on Aging of Northwest Ohio to develop the handicapped-accessible Virginia Stranahan Trail and to build additional senior affordable housing and facilities for socializing. Total project cost: $22.3 million.
- $4.8 million to cover the entire cost of uniting Fifth Third Field, the Glass City Center, Fort Industry Square, St. Clair Street, and Hensville Park into a cohesive Hensville Entertainment District.
- $4.7 million for the entire project cost of increasing access to high-quality health science education at the Toledo Pre-Medical and Health Science Academy at Mercy College in collaboration with Bon Secours Mercy Health.
- $4.26 million for entire cost of Wood County Regional Airport’s construction of two hangars for overnight storage of 16 more aircraft in connection with Bowling Green State University’s flight training program.
- $4 million for the YWCA of Northwest Ohio to renovate existing buildings and improve living conditions for Toledo area domestic violence victims. Total project cost: $7 million.
- $3.8 million toward Point Place embankment stabilization and flood mitigation, including the North Summit Street roadway, multi-use path, and associated utilities; the Detwiler Creek pump station; and Detwiler Park. Total project cost: $4 million.
- $3 million toward improvements to the historic Lucas County Courthouse. Total cost: $6 million.
- $3 million for the Lucas County Land Reutilization Corp.’s Four Corners Redevelopment Project, restoring two vacant and formerly abandoned buildings to productive use in downtown Toledo. Total project cost: $190 million.
- $2 million for infrastructure and improvements at ProMedica’s Flower Hospital, Toledo Hospital, and Bay Park Hospital campuses, including emergency department, heating and ventilation, laboratory, surgical suite, and incubator upgrades. Total cost: $18.3 million.
- $2 million to build an indoor pool, an 8,000-square-foot gym, an expanded fitness center, outdoor splash pad, and wellness center at Wayman Palmer YMCA and Inez Nash Park in Toledo. Total cost: $28.7 million.
First Published February 5, 2024, 8:15 p.m.
