Re-posted from 27 July, 2015:
The agenda for tonight's Columbus City Council meeting includes six pieces of legislation offering public subsidies to private businesses. The city says the deals are expected to help retain or create more than 900 jobs. Jim Letizia reports.
Council is expected to approve a 100 percent, 10 year property tax abatement for the developer of the Polaris Centers of Commerce to add 177 thousand square feet of office space on Lyra Drive, creating 885 jobs. The deal is expected to save N.P. Limited Partnership 3.4 million dollars. California-based Schoola, which raises money for schools by selling donated used clothing, wants a 5 year, 25 percent Jobs Growth Incentive Agreement to locate a distribution center in a vacant warehouse on Watkins Road. The deal will mean the company saves 185 thousand dollars in employee income taxes, and is expected to create 225 jobs. Also on Council's agenda is the creation of a 10 year, 75 percent Enterprise Zone Agreement with AirSide Two, which wants to build an office and distribution center on land owned by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. The city says the facility will lead to the relocation of an unknown number of positions from Columbus and the creation of 10 new jobs, with a tax savings of 1.2 million dollars. Biometrics firm CrossChx is moving its operations from East Broad Street to the former Karlsberger Building on East Main Street, retaining 32 jobs and creating 68 others. The five year Downtown Office Incentive deal before Council would save the firm 304 thousand dollars. Council is also expected to approve a Downtown Office Incentive deal with Wisconsin-based Aver Informatics, a maker of healthcare software. It is moving operations from Nationwide Boulevard to the Huntington Center, retaining 32 jobs. The deal will yield 1.2 million dollars in cash payments. Council is also expected to approve a Downtown Office Incentive Agreement with New York-based BarkBox, a provider of pet products. It will open it's first Ohio operation on North High Street, creating 120 jobs. The five year deal will save the company 225 thousand dollars.