Summary about ProMedica moving its headquarters to downtown Toledo

Feb 4, 2014 posts:

• Toledo Talk thread
• Toledo Free Press story
• Toledo Blade story

Bullet-pointed highlights:

• developing the downtown riverfront area
• begin in 2016
• renovation of the Steam Plant
• retain the Steam Plant's historical aspects
• build a public downtown fitness center
• underground parking structure envisioned in the expanded portion of Promenade Park
• garage would be landscaped to blend in with the riverfront park
• Mayor Collins said the state needs to assist

Excerpts from the nearly 1800-word story by Ignazio Messina, reorganized a bit to produce somewhat of a summary.

HQ

ProMedica, the largest employer in the Toledo area, wants to bring employees who are scattered over “a large number of locations” under one roof into a signature building that would enforce its brand while developing the downtown riverfront area into a modern-looking, campus-like setting.

Randy Oostra, ProMedica president and chief executive officer, told The Blade the company's purchase and renovation of the Steam Plant could cost up to $40 million and begin in 2016.

Mr. Oostra stressed that ProMedica is in the early stages of its plans for the building, but said the company would retain the Steam Plant's historical aspects, including the two smokestacks that tower over the Maumee and possibly add retail businesses.

The YMCA and JCC of Greater Toledo could also partner with ProMedica to build a public downtown fitness center as part of the campus on the ground-level of the KeyBank building, Mr. Oostra said.

Parking Garage

Mr. Oostra said an underground parking structure is envisioned in the expanded portion of Promenade Park adjacent to Summit Street on the site of the former downtown Federal Building. He said the garage would be landscaped to blend in with the riverfront park and provide parking for people coming downtown for riverfront entertainment and festivals.

Mayor Collins said shortly after becoming mayor last month he ordered the suspension of the $5 million renovation and expansion of Promenade Park, pushed by former Mayor Mike Bell, because it may be needed as part of ProMedica's downtown campus.

Garage Funding

Incentive packages are commonly used by government to retain or attract businesses.

Mayor Collins said the state needs to assist with an incentive package for ProMedica.

Mayor Collins said he was looking for financial help from the state government's capital budget to pay for the garage.

“We need to get the message down to Columbus that we are not the fourth wheel on a tricycle and we need money coming out of Columbus to assist with this,” the mayor said. “We cannot write a check for a parking [garage] today.”

Feb 6, 2014

http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2014/02/06/Garage-identified-as-key-piece-to-Steam-Plant-plan.html

Feb 7, 2014

http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2014/02/07/City-official-ProMedica-s-plan-will-kindle-development.html

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ProMedica sees the parking garage as a key piece toward moving the project forward.

Whether the garage is underground, above ground, floating on the river, or floating in the air, it appears that a new garage is a major requirement for the plan to occur.

Feb 7 Blade story

The Collins administration is working with other entities, including the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and state, on incentives for the hospital operator, Mr. Sapara said. It could include financial assistance to build an underground garage at Promenade Park on the former Federal Building site.

Councilman Jack Ford offers advice, regarding incentives and negotiating with ProMedica:

"I imagine the city will be asked to do some things with respect to streets and so forth, but [ProMedica], frankly, next to the university, are the biggest institutional economic center in northwest Ohio."

"They have huge amounts of money coming into their profit centers so we should not be leaned on to make this happen."

"I hope you are prepared to negotiate at arm’s length and be firm. ProMedica is a big outfit."

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