LISBON, Ohio – The Columbiana County Port Authority Board of Directors took steps Monday toward the development of a new industrial park outside the village of East Palestine.

With unanimous votes following a brief executive session, board members authorized Brittany Smith, executive director of the port authority, to negotiate a development agreement with the village and its Community Improvement Corporation and to negotiate an agreement to purchase a parcel of Unity Township property eyed for the park.

Also in attendance at Monday’s board meeting was Antonio Diaz-Guy, East Palestine village manager. He and Smith outlined plans for the project after the meeting, saying the industrial park is proposed for an 85-acre parcel north of Howell Road on state Route 14.

Diaz-Guy said the CIC has an exclusive agreement to purchase the property. There is no intention to annex the property into the village, according to Diaz-Guy, with plans instead calling for the formation of a Joint Economic Development District with the township, which would allow for development of the land and sharing of revenue and services.

Township trustees and Village Council still had to vote on the JEDD proposal as of Monday, according to Diaz-Guy.

If and when the port authority and village reach agreements, the village will be responsible for all off-site infrastructure, such as water and sewage line extensions, creation of a water tower and upgrading the water distribution system. The port authority will take responsibility for the  infrastructure on its newly purchased property.

The design will include dividing the property into lots. Smith said that when the design phase is complete, officials would know more details about the actual makeup of the industrial park.

“It’s safe to say [the project] has nothing to do with a data center,” said Charlie Presley, chairman of the port authority board. “It’s a pretty exciting project for this part of the county.”

The design phase is expected to take 12 to 18 months. Diaz-Guy said the village’s portion of the design has already been paid for, and about 35% of the construction phase is funded through a combination of village funds and a federal economic development grant. 

He said additional funding will be sought through a variety of grants.

Smith said once the development agreement is reached with the village, the port authority will seek project funding from JobsOhio and other regional partners.

Smith and Diaz-Guy expect to have an agreement to present to their respective boards for approval within two months. They said the development is part of the long-term economic plan for East Palestine.

Diaz-Guy said there has been a demand for industrial properties, and this project will fill that need.

“A lot of historic property comes with baggage that new buildings don’t,” he said.

Smith and Diaz-Guy both said the new industrial park could be ready to accept its first tenant within two years.