Alloy Development says St. Bernard Square got about $540,000 in grants; highlights BASF expansion and Syntheca digester project

Dan Ferguson of Alloy Development told the Saint Bernard Village Council that the St. Bernard Square project received a county grant plus a separate award that together "total around $540,000" to pay for demolition and pre‑development work.

Ferguson said Alloy is also working on a plan for the rest of Vine Street — the area south of the square — to build on recent streetscaping and a growing cluster of destination businesses. "We're encouraging the village to come up with some other strategies ... to help revitalize the corridor, focusing on attracting and encouraging additional destination businesses here," he said.

Ferguson highlighted several private investments in or near the village. He said Syntheca Energy, a Cincinnati company, is completing a project at Spring Grove and Vine that, "when they're completed with it, it's actually gonna be the largest food waste digester in the nation." He also said BASF has a $70,000,000 expansion underway that will double an existing 20,000‑square‑foot operation to 40,000 square feet, with plans for further growth.

On incentive monitoring, Ferguson said Emery Oleochemicals has exceeded expectations tied to tax incentives: "they were starting off at a goal of 2,200,000.0, they've invested 23,000,000," and Alloy's reviews show the company is meeting and exceeding goals.

Ferguson and Catherine Fitzgerald, Alloy's other representative, described available property inventory and outreach work. They noted two large St. Bernard Soap buildings are on the market for sale or lease and said broker Jeff Bender represents those listings. Fitzgerald described Alloy's business‑retention approach as proactive: "most growth occurs with existing businesses ... we contact the business many times ... it's a very proactive approach."

Ferguson said the village has applied for a county mini‑planning grant to fund a consultant to review the south Vine Street area, host public meetings and update an older comprehensive plan; a decision on that application was expected later in the month. He also encouraged the council to consider village‑owned parcels and parking when planning for private investment and noted the difference between incentive tools: "the key with Enterprise Zone is that it's the entire community, whereas CRA ... really just provides incentive for housing projects."

During questions, council members asked about the imminent WesBanco branch closure and other properties. Ferguson said he and village staff had reached out; he reported the bank seller had declined a request to donate the building to the village or community interest company and that several parties had already expressed interest in the site. When asked whether any council action was required before November on Alloy's contract, a representative said the contract is budgeted and no immediate step was necessary.

Alloy's presentation concluded with an offer to provide more detailed materials and follow up on property‑specific inquiries.