Amazon coming to Kettering? Hundreds of jobs could start by summer

Gorsuch said the developer is doing due diligence studies on the land in the coming weeks, and hopes to close on both the land sale with the city and the lease with Amazon in March.

>> MORE: Kettering Business Park deal moves forward, could bring several hundred jobs

Gorsuch said this project is different from the logistics companies centered near the Dayton airport and the I-70/I-75 interchange. He said he believes Amazon chose this site for its size and ability to reach the largest number of local households with deliveries the most quickly.

Gorsuch could not say whether that means the Dayton market could have same-day Amazon delivery, and Amazon representatives did not immediately answer questions on that topic.

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Last week, Kettering City Council approved an agreement to sell three parcels totaling 14.2 acres to TW Development Group out of Cincinnati for $210,001. If the complete deal goes through, the city will reimburse the developer up to $1.1 million for demolition of an old 200,000 square-foot warehouse that sits on the property.

The Kettering Business Park is a large commercial development on the site of the former Gentile Air Force Station and Defense Electronics Supply Center (DESC), just south of the Dayton-Kettering border.

Jim McCarthy of the TW Development Group told the Dayton Daily News last week that he is pleased the deal with Kettering’s economic development team has been moving forward without a hitch. He said plans to develop the property are in full-swing.

“We are continuing to work on design and construction pricing. Subsequently, we are starting to circulate a lease that is being negotiated,” McCarthy said. “We hopefully will have the lease executed by March 15 and have occupancy started in the middle of July. Right now we are rolling up our sleeves and working collaboratively with the tenant.”

The agreement approved by city council last week says the warehouse demolition would have to be complete by 270 days after the sale closes. “Redevelopment” has to be done by 365 days after the closing. The deadline for the company to finish due diligence is Feb. 28.

According to the land sale agreement, the developer agrees to work to attract a major tenant, bringing a minimum of 300 full-time equivalent jobs there by the end of 2021.

The agreement says the company will pay all taxes and assessments due after the closing. The city will pay all delinquent taxes and assessments, penalties and interest.

City of Kettering officials emphasized that the Amazon deal is not yet complete.

“We will continue to work with the developers in the coming months to make this potential deal a reality,” Gorsuch said.

McCarthy said his company plans to spend $8.3 million to build out the property at 907 Forrer Blvd. The space is enormous and lends itself to several options after the e-retailer gets up and running, he said.

UPDATE @ 11:45 a.m. (Jan 30)

The city of Kettering is reporting that a developer is in negotiations with Amazon for a long term lease that could bring several hundred new jobs to Kettering. We will continue to update this story as we receive additional details.

FIRST REPORT: 

A development company has moved forward with plans to bring an online retailer to the Kettering Business Park that could eventually yield 150 or more new jobs with the deal.

The city has agreed to sell three parcels of land totaling 14 acres of property including the vacant 200,000-square-foot building located at 907 Forrer Blvd. to the Cincinnati-based TW Development Group for $210,000.

Jim McCarthy of the TW Development Group told the Dayton Daily News on Friday, that he is pleased the deal with Kettering’s economic development team has been moving forward without a hitch. He said plans to develop the property are in full-swing.

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“We are continuing to work on design and construction pricing. Subsequently, we are starting to circulate a lease that is being negotiated,” McCarthy said. “We hopefully will have the lease executed by March 15 and have occupancy started in the middle of July. Right now we are rolling up our sleeves and working collaboratively with the tenant.”

He added that his company plans to spend $8.3 million to build out the property at 907 Forrer Blvd. for the yet unnamed e-retailer. The space is enormous and lends itself to several options after the e-retailer gets up and running.

“We are tearing the entire building down,” McCarthy said. “It had become functionally obsolete at this point and time. About a half of that property will be excess parking and the other half we would like to look at some sort of development there, but no specific plans at this point and time.”

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McCarthy said the city’s approval to spend more than $1 million in grant funding to help demolish the building has helped make the project easier.

“They already had that money in their budget that was going to be used to demolish the building,” he said. “The money approved is a grant and not a loan, so it won’t have to be paid back.”

City officials said at this week’s council meeting that the investment will help with economic development and to fight blight in the business park.

Gregg Gorsuch, economic development manager for the city of Kettering, said the e-retailer’s move to Kettering is a major win for the city, as more jobs will be coming and the large monetary investment from the development group is part of the deal.

Kettering Mayor Don Patterson said the deal is an, “another exciting development in the rebirth of the Kettering Business Park.”

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