LISBON, Ohio – Plans for an industrial park outside East Palestine in Unity Township came closer to fruition this week.
During its regular meeting Monday, the Columbiana County Port Authority Board of Directors approved several resolutions related to the East Palestine industrial park proposed for property along state Route 14 and Howell Road, which will be owned by the port authority.
The East Palestine Community Improvement Corp. entered into a purchase agreement in 2025 with Mary Carlson Behne for an exclusive right to purchase her 85-acre property composed of four tracts, paying $100,000.
At Monday’s meeting, a resolution was approved transferring that agreement to the port authority, with a clause requiring the port authority to repay the $100,000 to the CIC when proceeds from the sale or lease of tracts in the industrial park become available.
The board also approved a resolution authorizing Brittany Smith, executive director of the port authority, to exercise the option to purchase the property, paying the remaining $1.1 million of the total $1.2 million cost.
Smith said cash funds that the port authority has on hand are being used to pay the $1.1 million.
The board also approved a resolution authorizing a grant application of $200,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission and Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia. Smith said the funds, if awarded, would be used to upgrade sewer lines in East Palestine in connection with the proposed industrial park’s expansion.
The board authorized Smith to prepare and submit an application for $1.5 million in funding through the Ohio Division of Natural Resources Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program in relation to the industrial park.
Smith said after the meeting that if the funding is granted, it will be used to address on-site groundwork such as grading and excavating on the property.
Lastly, the board authorized Smith to execute an engagement agreement with Kutak Rock LLP as special counsel to provide legal services and advice in connection with the acquisition of the industrial park property.
Smith said governing bodies in both East Palestine and Unity Township have also approved the land acquisition issues.
Asked after the meeting how soon the industrial park could be operational, Smith said considerable on-site work remains, and she estimated the site could be ready for tenants in 2028.
In other matters during Monday’s meeting, Smith reported on the recent business resources event held as part of the port authority’s Growth & Investment series, the first of its kind in Columbiana County.
Manufacturers, retailers, river terminals, small businesses and human resource professionals were invited, bringing about 50 attendees, she said.
“Rather than asking business owners to track down each resource on their own, we brought our regional partners together in one room so that attendees could learn about everything available to them and make connections in a single morning,” she told the board.
Details of a fourth-quarter event will be announced soon.
Smith also reported that the application period for the port authority’s Downtown Building Renovation Program closed Aug. 3.
Calling the response to the program “tremendous,” Smith said 12 applications with requests totaling more than $500,000 were received.
The port authority has set aside $200,000 for the program, a maximum of $50,000 per project, with awards issued as forgivable loans.
“The level of interest shows just how much our property owners want to invest in our downtowns,” Smith said.
The next step is to form a committee to evaluate and score each application, with award recipients expected to be announced within the next month.
Meanwhile, Smith reported, the Downtown Signage Program remains open, with a little more than $14,000 still available for signage projects.
Information is available on the port authority’s website or by contacting staff members.