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High School Football Scoreboard

2006-11-25

Hilliard Davidson 10, Cincinnati Col= erain=20 6

Kettering Alter 31, New Albany=20 7

Warren JFK 34, Amanda-Clearcreek=20 6

New philoso= phy paying=20 off for Hilliard

Thursday, November 16, 2006

By JEFF DONAHUE
ThisWeek Staff Writer

Hilliard Economic Development Director David Meeks said the city'= s new=20 approach to economic development is paying major dividends.=20

When he took office four years ago, Meeks faced an uphill battle.= =20

"When I started, nobody would take my calls," Meeks said. "We wer= e=20 controversial then. It was perceived that the mayor-council relation= ship=20 was not good and our regulatory process was burdensome. The rumor I = heard=20 then was build in Hilliard and it will cost you $100,000 more. That = was=20 four years ago."=20

Since 2004, Hilliard has seen $93-million in new capital investme= nt and=20 another $63-million is in the city's development-in-progress pipelin= e.=20 More than 2,100 new jobs have been created in the city within the pa= st=20 five years that account for more than $70-million in new local payro= ll.=20

Meeks said Mayor Don Schonhardt shares his philosophy and they wo= rk=20 together to bolster the city's image within the development communit= y.=20

"We came in and eliminated a lot of boards and commissions and=20 streamlined the development process," Meeks said. "The mayor and I m= eet=20 personally with most of the developers to talk about their projects= =20 beforehand and work out issues so that they are not played out at th= e=20 planning and zoning commission meeting and you get a list of everyth= ing=20 that is wrong and are told to come back in 30 days. It's a little bi= t of=20 customer service."=20

While Meeks had never served as a development director before tak= ing=20 the Hilliard job, he knew what he didn't want -- a process that gene= rated=20 more red tape and obstacles for businesses.=20

"I wanted to make us more business friendly," Meeks said. "I want= ed to=20 move away from the bureaucracy. At the end of the day, just like tim= e is=20 money for business, time is money for us. If these commercial buildi= ngs go=20 up quicker, the quicker we get our income tax."=20

That approach has changed Hilliard's reputation with developers, = Meeks=20 said.=20

"In the development community now, we are getting shopped for all= the=20 major deals," he said. "That was always the goal. Speed up the proce= ss.=20 Time is money. Let people know up front where they stand. A develope= r told=20 me a couple of weeks ago that we have made it so they have to look a= t=20 Hilliard for their projects. We're competitive. That is what we want= , just=20 look at us for your projects. So far that philosophy is paying off i= n=20 spades."=20

Hilliard competed with Dublin and Columbus to bring BMW Financial= =20 Services' headquarters to the city's Britton Central office campus i= n May.=20 That win brought 700 employees to the new $23-million, 227,000-squar= e-foot=20 building and put Hilliard on the map.=20

"It put us on the map because nobody thought Hilliard could get i= t,"=20 Meeks said. "We had no sewer going to the site. We had no water goin= g to=20 the site. We didn't even have a road. But, we delivered on everythin= g we=20 said we would do for them."=20

The Credit Union of Ohio will break ground on a new 50,000-square= -foot=20 headquarters on an adjacent property Friday morning.=20

Meeks said Hilliard's emphasis has been on business and commercia= l=20 development, the kind of development that generates tax revenue for = the=20 city. As proof he noted only 71 permits have been issued this year s= ingle=20 family homes.=20

What residential development is taking place is being carefully p= lanned=20 so that it does not negatively impact the Hilliard City School Distr= ict.=20

November 28,=20 2006 | Currently: 44=B0=20 Overcast

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