Developers, residents defend speculative development as council introduces CRA for Velocis site

Developers and community members argued Monday that speculative industrial development and negotiated incentive packages produce long-term regional benefits as Gahanna City Council introduced a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) agreement for the Velocis site on Tech Center Drive.

At the start of hearing, longtime local developer Ralph Griffith (VRG2) reviewed the firm’s work in Gahanna since 2005 and defended speculative marketing of a difficult site, noting topography constraints and long-term market cycles. “We cleaned and capped the EPA nuisance formerly known as Bedford 2 Landfill,” Griffith said, describing past remediation and development efforts the firm undertook. He said splitting the parcel helped attract Burns and Scallow and later Velocis, and urged council to view speculative development as a legitimate path to future anchors.

Resident and developer Robert Lockett recalled elongated negotiations over an incentive package for Burns and Scallow and described a renegotiation that reduced an original 80%/12-year package to 70% during council deliberations. “This figure notably differs from the 100% abatements extended to other corporate headquarter projects like ADB Safeguard, Franklin Peak, and Reliant Capital,” Lockett said, urging predictable staff recommendations and consistent negotiation practices.

Jordan Fromm, who said his firm has been in contract several times on the parcel, criticized site constraints and broader market factors that earlier prospects cited; he said a past headquarters prospect selected New Albany because it secured a more aggressive incentive package. “Bob Evans corporate headquarters chose New Albany over this very site due to a more aggressive incentive package,” Fromm said.

Council then moved to the ordinances portion of the agenda. Clerk Van Meter read Ordinance 30-2025 (first reading), an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with Velocis Gahanna JV LP to facilitate construction of an industrial building on parcels 027-00110-00 and 025-13634-00 on Tech Center Drive and declaring an emergency. The ordinance was read for introduction and first reading only; no final vote on the CRA was recorded at the meeting.

Developers and council members referenced past local projects and incentive examples — Taylor Industrial Park’s 15-year 100% abatement (2021), ADB Safeguard’s expansion into spec warehouse space, and other negotiated abatement packages — as precedent for considering speculative development support. Members of the public and developers urged the council to maintain predictability in staff-delivered incentive packages and avoid on-floor renegotiations that would hamper the city’s competitiveness.

What happened - Public comment: Developers (Ralph Griffith, Robert Lockett, Jordan Fromm) argued speculative development can attract future headquarters and cited prior local incentive examples. - Ordinance introduction: Ordinance 30-2025 (Community Reinvestment Area with Velocis Gahanna JV LP) read for first reading and introduction; no vote for final adoption recorded.

Clarifying details raised during comments included parcel identifiers for the Velocis project (027-00110-00; 025-13634-00), examples of past abatement terms referenced by speakers (15 years / 100% for Taylor Industrial Park; earlier negotiated 70% for Burns and Scallow), and that staff previously recommended a negotiated package for the current proposal.

Next steps: The ordinance proceeds through formal legislative process (additional readings and votes required for final CRA approval). Council and staff did not take a final vote on the CRA at this meeting; affected parties said predictable staff recommendations and timely negotiation matter for securing future prospects.