Ohio County Development Authority Approves New, Modified Leases at The Highlands
Eric Ayres WHEELING -- The Ohio County Development Authority Board took action Monday night to enter into lease agreements with two new tenants for vacant spaces at The Highlands and agreed to lease amendments for some current tenants.
Board members did not disclose the names of the businesses that will be coming to the Triadelphia retail complex, agreeing to allow the new tenants to make the official announcements themselves in the near future. However, Ohio County Development Authority officials did specify where the new tenants will be located.
One new lease was for a 7,500-square-foot unit in the Power Center B retail block where Jim Frio & Associates formerly had space. The other new lease was for a 6,500-square-foot space in the Power Center A section that was formerly occupied by The Dress Barn.
Board members also voted to approve lease amendments for Books-A-Million and The Shoe Department, agreed to a lease modification for Bubba’s Burgers, OK'd a lease renewal for Lane Bryant and approved a new term agreement with Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Ohio County Development Authority Board President Randy Wharton explained that in some cases, existing tenants that are due for a lease renewal - while fighting to bring their business out of the pandemic slump - have requested help in retaining their space at The Highlands. Most tenants have a five-year lease with a option to renew two more times in five years, he noted.
"Often times, especially post-COVID and recent times after COVID, retailers and restaurants have come to us because the’ve suffered significant business losses during that period of time, and we’ve done amendments to maybe keep the rent the same rather than bump it, which is usually what happens when you renew for another five years," Wharton said. "A lot of them have suffered losses in income through no fault of their own. We already have pretty good deals with them. So this helps them stay strong, and then when we revisit these leases within the next five years, hopefully they’ll be up to where they were before."
The board also agreed to buy back the last 20 acres previously sold to the state 10 years ago with the intention of repurchasing the property. Wharton noted that the board already bought back other chunks of land they had sold to the state, and now they have regained ownership of all the property - the latest being a large tract of land located behind Menard’s.
"We now have control of that property, and we plan to develop it," Wharton said.
Officials tackled a big agenda Monday night with a room packed full of members Monday night at the City County Building. Officials met in a lengthy executive session to discuss the many leases before returning to regular session to take action on the slate of new leases and lease amendments.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Michael Takacs from Bohler Engineering provided a short presentation to give the board an overview of proposed enhancements to physical features at The Highlands. Takacs is working with a subcommittee to develop a plan for improvements to pedestrian circulation, shuttle services, landscaping and other enhancements. An overall package for the proposed plan is expected to be presented to the full board in the near future.
Harvey Greenidge, general manager of The Highlands Sports Complex, updated the board on the booked dates as well as the dates that remain available at the facility. Greenidge also suggested that a regular presence of Ohio County Sheriff’s deputies during big events at the complex would be beneficial.
Ohio County Commissioner Zach Abraham provided an overview of a project in the works for a Shared Resources Growth & Retention Team. The proposal calls for the pooling of resources from several local entities to engage in a joint marketing effort and a team approach toward economic development and local population retention.
Additional action on a number of items by the Ohio County Development Authority Board is expected this fall, and board members agreed to meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at the City-County Building to address pending business.