HEATH-NEWARK-LICKING COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY
NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2023

PORT AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING DATE CHANGED

HEATH, OHIO –  The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority regularly scheduled October meeting of the Board of Directors has been changed to Tuesday, October 31 at 3:30 p.m. in the Boardroom of the Port Authority at 851 Irving Wick Drive West, Heath.  Board meetings are preceded, at 2:30 p.m., by regular meetings of the Port Authority standing committees, if needed.  The committees include finance, personnel, community projects, and planning.

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HEATH-NEWARK-LICKING COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY
NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2023

PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority (the “Lessee”) on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. at the offices of the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority, 851 Irving-Wick Drive West, Heath, Ohio 43056.  This hearing is for the purpose of considering the Lessee’s approval of the issuance of lease obligations in a principal amount not to exceed $10,000,000 (Ten Million Dollars) (the “Lease Obligations”) pursuant to a Master Lease-Purchase and Sublease-Purchase Agreement and the Exhibits attached thereto (collectively, the “Agreement”) in order to provide “Port Authority Facilities” as defined in and pursuant to Section 4582.21 et seq. of the Ohio Revised Code.  The proceeds of the Lease Obligations will be made available to Licking Memorial Hospital (the “Hospital”) to be used to finance: the construction, renovation, acquisition and installation of lab/radiology equipment and certain medical, information, clinical, technical, office equipment, electronic health record software and licenses for various departments of LMH at: (i) Licking Memorial Hospital, at its locations at 1320 West Main Street, Newark, Ohio 43055; 1717 West Main Street, Newark, Ohio 43055; 131 McMillen Drive, Newark, Ohio 43055; 1865 Tamarack Road, Newark, Ohio 43055; 1915 Tamarack Road, Newark, Ohio 43055; 2000 Tamarack Road, Newark, Ohio 43055; 15 Messimer Drive, Newark, Ohio 43055; 200 Messimer Drive, Newark, Ohio 43055; 14 Westgate Drive, Newark Ohio 43055; 20 W. Locust Street, Newark Ohio 43055 and One Healthy Place, Pataskala, Ohio 43062, and (ii) Licking Memorial Professional Corporation (“LMPC”) at its location at 1320 West Main Street, Newark, Ohio 43055, such improvements are collectively referred to herein as the “Project.”  Under the Agreement, the Lessee will lease the Project from Park National Bank and such Lessee will sublease the Project to the Hospital.  The Hospital and/or LMPC will be the initial legal owner or principal user of the Project.  THE REVENUE OBLIGATIONS CREATED UNDER THE AGREEMENT SHALL NOT REPRESENT OR CONSTITUTE A DEBT OR PLEDGE OF THE FAITH AND CREDIT OR THE TAXING POWER OF THE LESSEE, THE COUNTY OF LICKING, OHIO OR THE STATE OF OHIO.  Interested persons are invited to attend this public hearing and will be given the opportunity to express their views concerning the proposed issuance of the Lease Obligations under the Agreement.  Anyone desiring to make written comments may give them to Richard J. Platt, President and CEO of the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority, located at 851 Irving-Wick Drive West, Heath, Ohio 43056, on or before the date and time of the aforementioned hearing.  This notice is given pursuant to Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

/s/ Richard J. Platt

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HEATH-NEWARK-LICKING COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY
NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2023

PORT AUTHORITY PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING SET

HEATH, OHIO –  The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority has scheduled a meeting of the Planning Committee of the Board of Directors, for Tuesday, July 11 at 3:30 p.m.  The purpose of the meeting is to review plans and concepts for redevelopment and development of Port Authority-owned real property.

Note a location different than typical meeting locations for the Committee.  The meeting will be conducted at 1425 Mount Vernon Road, Newark.

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HEATH-NEWARK-LICKING COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY
OP-ED COLUMN

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
June 25, 2023

THE CASE FOR THORNWOOD CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS

By:  Rick Platt

The Cherry Valley Bridge was shut down for more than half a year, and the reverberations were felt across several communities.  Those among us who weren’t sure we needed a new bridge, got their minds changed quickly.

The case for improvements to the Thornwood Drive Corridor are more than relieving the pain from a bridge shut down, though.

Consider these points:

We Need to Get Prepared for Future Growth

Manufacturing is coming back to our shores and Licking County is a microcosm of this reshoring.  Our Port Authority campus in the heart of the Thornwood Corridor has seen a 40% increase in jobs in the last three years.

Intel benefits.  Traffic engineers tout the fact that the shortest distance and time of travel between Intel and points east, is the Thornwood Corridor.  Improvements will only make that through-flow of traffic for Intel suppliers stronger.  It’s notable that the first new Intel supplier in Ohio is located in a building in the Thornwood Corridor.

Getting the improvements to the Thornwood Corridor moving are critical to continuing to capitalize on the economic benefits of reshoring.

Uncle Sam He Has a Role

When jobs come back to our country, it’s the federal government that has the most to gain in tax growth.  Reshored jobs increase the U.S. tax base and manufacturing jobs strengthen the heart of our national economy.

So, it’s totally appropriate that Congressman Troy Balderson and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown were successful in getting $4 million appropriated for Newark in the recent federal budget.  These efforts are a big help to fund the next big Thornwood Corridor project.

When the final state budget comes out, we’ll be hopeful that additional state funding has been secured which will allow the corridor to advance sooner rather than later.

Local funding can close the gap.  The Port Authority has volunteered to help.

We Need to Answer Existing Companies’ Growth Demands

Though the news of 70 diverse companies making investments and creating jobs over decades doesn’t get the attention one big announcement can, the impact is no less vital at local, state, and national levels.

A recent look at the five industrial parks in the Corridor makes the case for devoting attention to getting the Thornwood Corridor advanced:

• There are 1,600 acres with more than 500 acres ready to go for future, manufacturing-oriented development.
• Manufacturing brings the highest-paying jobs and the combined $385 million payroll stands out.
• Already, there are over 8,500 people employed in the Corridor with more jobs on the way.
• The Corridor’s companies combine to over 10 million square feet of mostly manufacturing space. It’s the largest manufacturing corridor in Central Ohio with a diverse mix of companies.

If population matters, we have that too.  Consider the fact that, if Granville, Newark, Heath, and Hebron were combined, they would rank as the seventh-largest City in Ohio.

Join us.  Supporters in the Corridor aren’t asking for a four-lane, divided highway.  We are asking for a safer and sensible route for our people and our freight to travel.  The case is clear.

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Rick Platt is the President and CEO of the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority, a regular development column writer, and a father of four and grandfather of one who lives in Newark.  He is a Board member of JobsOhio.