Yellow Springs and Miami Township Community Improvement Corporation
(dba: Community Resources)
Community Resources (CR) was incorporate June 17th 1998 and it was determined to be a publicly supported, tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 502(c)(3).
As stated in its Code of Regulations, Community Resources was formed exclusively for the purposes authorized for community improvement corporations by OH Revised Code 1724.01 et seq. to provide leadership in the creation and implementation of strategies to address the needs for economic development that are congruent with the values of the community. The basic mission is the retention and expansion of business in the Yellow Springs area. One of its first initiatives was to conduct a commerce park feasibility study under an agreement with the Village. This agreement and the feasibility study results are the basis for where the Center for Business and Education stands today.
September 30, 2002 a Cooperative Economic Development Agreement (CEDA) in accordance with ORC Section 701.07 was established between Miami Township and the Village of Yellow Springs to promote economic development within the designated district. Three properties [the first 14.93 acres, the second 31.259 acres and the third 39.562 acres] on the southern edge of the village on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road were included in this district. The CEDA allowed the Village to annex these properties if they were zoned for commercial use.
May 5th, 2003, Council authorized the Village Manager to enter into a development agreement with CR regarding these properties and to make certain loans pursuant to that agreement [Res. 2003-18]. Under this agreement, CR prepared a master economic development plan and negotiated to acquire properties within the CEDA District.
Funds loaned under the agreement between the Village & CR ($300,000) were part of the purchase price for the first and second of these parcels from Vernay Laboratories, Inc. on June 25, 2004. Education Village, Inc., a 501(c)(2) charitable non-profit subsidiary of CR, held title to this property. Education Village was established by CR for the purpose of developing a Center for Business and Education. These 46.189 acres were annexed to the Village of Yellow Springs April 18th, 2005.
February 24, 2006, 11.144 acres of this property was conveyed to Antioch University for the purpose of constructing a facility to accommodate their McGregor graduate programs. March 2006, the Village Planning Commission approved Concept Plan/Phase of the Antioch PUD-1 Zoning Request. August 2006 ground was broken on this property for the construction of Antioch University McGregor. October 2006, the Village Council approved the final construction plan. Today AUM has nearly 50 full-time employs (almost 80 full-time equivalent employees) and accommodates 750 students.
The remainder of the property [35.227 acres] was rezoned by the Village to Mixed Commerce District in February 2007.
CR applied for, and subsequently received, Utility and Transportation Federal Grants. As a condition of these grants various impact, archeological and soil studies were commissioned. They resulted in a ‘Finding of No Significant Impact’ by the US Army Corps of Engineers on August 20, 2007.
The US Army Corps of Engineers administer one of these grants for the construction of water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection in the amount totaling $596,000 of which $149,000 was provided from local, matching sources. Of the $447,000 balance, $30,000 was used by the USACE to defray their expenses. The USACE entered into an agreement with the Village to administer this construction effort in April 2007.
The second federal grant under the National Transportation Act is administered through the Ohio Department of Transportation which entered in to Local Public Authority (LPA) Federal Local-Let Project Agreement with the Village in October 2008. Under this agreement, the Village manages the project at the local level. This grant provides 100% of the $594,000 for the design and construction of the CBE Connector Road. The Phase 1 Engineering Design study for this Connector Road effort was awarded to the JACOBS engineering firm in March 2009 and, following necessary coordination, the authority to proceed was given in August. The preliminary engineering report was provided to the Village project manager on December 28th, 2009, and is under review by the various parties.
As an independent, non-profit corporation, Community Resources has worked collaboratively with Village officials to provide a flexible structure for accomplishing a range of projects vital to maintaining and enhancing the economic viability of the Village of Yellow Springs and surrounding Miami Township. Moreover, CR stands ready to complete the terms of its agreement with the Village to market the properties for economic development purposes and to work with the Village to define available incentives, if any.