Molly Fitzgerald, executive director of the Athens County Economic Development Council, told Athens City Council committees on Nov. 10 that the EDC completed a 60,000‑square‑foot spec building at the industrial park in The Plains and shifted its office into the Armory this year as it continues downtown revitalization, business retention and site‑development work. “We did complete the 60,000 square foot spec building,” Fitzgerald said. “Now I need to get someone in it.”

Fitzgerald said EDC priorities in 2025 included site development, downtown redevelopment districts (DRDs), tax incentive administration and managing the city and county revolving loan funds. She described a cautious JobsOhio pipeline this year but noted smaller JobsOhio small business awards and a push to partner with regional community development financial institutions to strengthen the revolving loan fund pipeline.

On funding, Fitzgerald highlighted a $1.5 million community‑project allocation tied to Congressman Dave Balderson that was allocated in 2025 but not yet disbursed; she said her office is hopeful the money will arrive in 2026 and cautioned that the published 2025 funding total includes that amount even though it was not received this year. She also said the EDC secured the last tranche of takeout financing for the spec building through ODOD’s rural industrial park loan program, and said EDA approval is needed before bidding for the building’s floor slab.

Fitzgerald described brownfields work around the city, noting completed remediation at Russell’s gas station on Columbus Road and ongoing assessment work around Ambassador Laundry; the latter remains contingent on resolving an ownership issue before applying for ODOD brownfields funding. “To be eligible for Brownfields funding, the hands that contaminated the property or contributed to the contamination cannot be eligible for funding,” she said, explaining the ownership complication.

She said small projects such as the Hocking Hills Garment Center — a clothing manufacturer operating out of a converted church — received small JobsOhio grants that led to roughly $2.3 million in sales and about $750,000 in compensation, and that the group is pursuing cluster development (including dye‑facility supply chain investments) that could support about 50 jobs over five years.

Fitzgerald asked council to help connect available vacant industrial space to prospective tenants and said the EDC will circulate a survey with Voynovich School as part of a strategic‑plan update. Council members asked for clarifications about the number of brownfield sites and how revenue capture for DRDs is calculated; city staff and the mayor said they will review reassessment and revenue‑capture methods to confirm whether DRD receipts are undercounted.

The presentation concluded with Fitzgerald inviting questions and offering to work with council and local partners on housing and small business initiatives tied to the EDC’s toolbox of incentives and loan programs.