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Ampere Twin founder proposes 'LEO Nexus' hub, touts large private investment and asks for regional enterprise zone support
Summary
Leon P. Robinson III told the Elyria City Council on March 2 that his firm, Ampere Twin, is rebranding the Lorraine Nexus to the "LEO Nexus hub," described the project as privately funded with a stated company valuation and projected 10,000 jobs, and asked the council to support a regional enterprise zone and streamlined permitting across three municipalities.
Leon P. Robinson III, founder and CEO of Ampere Twin, addressed the Elyria City Council on March 2 to formally relaunch the Lorraine Nexus project as the "LEO Nexus hub" and to request municipal support for regional coordination.
Robinson said Ampere Twin is "self valued at 41,500,000,000" and that his "personal equity state[s] approximately 1,800,000,000 to 2,400,000,000 on paper." He told the council the project is not seeking municipal funding and characterized it as a private investment ready to move, saying, "This is not a concept project seeking municipal funding. It is a private investment ready to move immediately." He projected the development would "create and support over 10,000 jobs across the region," spanning engineering, tech and construction roles.
Robinson asked Elyria to support two specific actions to move the project forward: (1) establish a regional enterprise zone covering a designated site to support the investment, and (2) streamline and coordinate permit processes across Lorraine, Elyria and Oberlin so the project can proceed on an accelerated schedule. He said Ampere Twin has submitted a full proposal and economic breakdown to the council.
Council members did not take formal action on the request during the meeting. No independent verification of Robinson's valuation or job projections was provided in the council record; the figures and timelines reported here are Robinson's statements to the council. The council may refer the proposal to relevant committees or staff for review, permitting guidance and interjurisdictional coordination.
Robinson's remarks drew attention for the scale of the figures he cited and for requesting regional authority coordination rather than direct municipal funding. Next steps recorded in the meeting record: Robinson said he "look[s] forward to working with you to bring the LEO Nexus hub to life," and the submission of the firm's formal proposal suggests staff and council will have material to evaluate in committee or future meetings.
