Canfield City, Township Advance JEDD for Project

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Canfield Mayor Bernie Kosar Sr. expects his City Council and the Canfield Township Board of Trustees to each hold meetings Wednesday to approve a proposed agreement between the entities that would allow Windsor House Inc. to move forward on construction of a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in the township.

The city and township have a “tentative agreement” to establish a Joint Economic Development District at the site of the proposed 72-bed center that both entities will have to formally approve, Kosar said this morning.

“We’re trying to expedite this,” he says.

The proposed 60,000-square-foot Canfield Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center would employ about 80 workers, says Danny Rowland, director of marketing for Windsor House. The Girard-based company operates skilled nursing care, rehabilitation and assisted living centers across northeastern Ohio.

“Windsor needs utilities, namely sewer and water for the project, and the property that we own is in Canfield Township adjacent to the city,” says J.P. Daliman, chief legal counsel for Windsor House. “The city had been reluctant to provide water without annexation and of course the township did not want annexation.” After several months of discussion, the city and township then agreed to the JEDD.

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, the city will extend water and sewer lines to the project site, which is located in the township. In return, the city will collect a 1% income tax from employees while the township will collect property taxes from the development. The process of formalizing the JEDD, which will include public hearings, will take 60 to 90 days, the mayor says.

The skilled nursing center is expected to generate about $22,000 in income tax for the city and $20,000 to $24,000 in property taxes for the township.

“That seems like a nice deal. That seems like a fair deal,” Kosar says.

Still, construction likely won’t begin until early next year, Daliman says.

Windsor House first has to apply for a certificate of need to transfer beds from other locations to that site, a process that could take nine to 12 months. “So we’re looking at this time next year to begin construction on this project, and it’s probably a nine-month construction,” he says.

Pictured: Rendering for proposed Canfield Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.