MANSFIELD — An infrastructure initiative in the northern portion of Mansfield could open about 500 acres of land to new development.
That was the message Thursday from Barrett Thomas, senior director of economic development for Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
Thomas, who spoke to county commissioners about the project Thursday, took over economic development work for the City of Mansfield under a contract with the chamber when long-time economic development director Tim Bowersock retired near the end of 2024.
He said Mansfield is planning to connect two existing water lines which run north and parallel to one another on North Main and Bowman streets.
Installation of a wastewater line would also be performed during the project, Thomas said, along with possible road improvement work.
The city has invested American Rescue Plan Act dollars, as well as funds from its general fund, to assemble a team of engineers tasked with determining what happens if the two water lines are connected — essentially forming a “water loop.”
Thomas said the connection would be located around the northern end of Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport.
“It will bring additional capacity and redundancy,” he said. “That’s key for a lot of these businesses that are in the industrial park and specifically the 179th.”
The 179th Ohio Air National Guard Cyberspace Wing, based at the airport, plans to build a new data center, Thomas said. Power and water are both critical utilities specific to the project.
“This (water line connection) will help bring redundancy so that there is always a consistent supply of water that will cover the 179th,” he said.
New development opportunities
Additional water capacity could also be key in a variety of industrial projects, including attracting new businesses to Mansfield.
Thomas said connecting the two existing lines would also open up land north of the city — which has never had access to utilities — to be marketed for development.
“We’re probably looking at an additional 500 acres of land that could be developed with this water loop,” he said.
“We’ve got a project that’s interested in being on that north end of the city and they will need access to all of these utilities.”
Thomas said the goals of the project are to support the 179th, increase water capacity around the Airport West Industrial Park and Aero Site, and open up additional land north of the city for interested developers.
“All of those things can happen with this water/sewer extension,” he said.
Engineers are still in the design phase of the project, which could cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million, Thomas said.
Mansfield is currently seeking assistance from the All Ohio Future Fund, which helps “support local communities with site-readiness and preparation to attract economic development projects,” according to the Ohio Department of Development.
Part of the application process is gathering support from a broad base of stakeholders, Thomas said. The city currently is not requesting any county funds.
Commissioners Cliff Mears and Darrell Banks both expressed support for the project. Mears signed a letter of recommendation on behalf of the commissioners for Thomas to include in the city’s application.
“It’s a great project,” Banks said. “We’re talking about not only jobs and security for the jobs that are already out there, but a lot of good things can come from it.”
Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry is seeking to have 321 acres near Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport rezoned to help open doors to future high-quality, heavy manufacturing jobs in the area.
That request, approved by the city’s Planning Commission in April, is scheduled to go before City Council on Tuesday.
The idea is to create more land zoned I-2 (heavy industrial) rather than the current I-1 and A (airport development), which may entice more manufacturing companies, rather than just logistics, trucking and light assembly.