Towne Mall site receives $2.5M for cleanup and remediation
The grant was requested by the Warren County Port Authority on behalf of the city of Middletown.
The project will abate asbestos-containing materials and demolish multiple unsafe structures, according to ODOD, and the 32-acre site will be prepared for commercial and light industrial redevelopment.
It is likely the majority of Towne Mall owned by the city will be demolished and redeveloped into a new structure or structures, according to Luis Rodriguez, assistant director of community and economic development for the city.
Part of the redevelopment plan includes keeping Planet Fitness as a tenant, though the location of the gym could move to another spot on the site in a new structure, according to Rodriguez.
An estimated 500 jobs are expected for when the redevelopment is complete at Towne Mall and adjacent businesses.
The start date for the project has not been finalized.
The city is in negotiations on a preliminary development plan with Midland Atlantic Properties for redevelopment.
Rodriguez said there is "nothing set in stone," but the city is "optimistic."
City council approved the issuance of $7.9 million in 30-year bonds to fund part of the acquisition cost in its June 3 meeting.
The bonds will cover a bond anticipation note, or BAN, issued last August to fund the acquisition on a temporary basis.
The previous BAN was approximately $7.5 million. The new amount of $7.9 million "reflects the rolling over of outstanding interest," according to a city staff report.
The BANs are meant to be a "temporary situation as the city works to execute a final development agreement for the site that will pay off most or all of the outstanding debt."
Most recently, Middletown hosted a Towne Mall liquidation auction, featuring items that were left in stores when the city bought the 380,000-square-foot site in July 2024 for $10 million.
Purchasing the mall was part of an effort to guide what goes on the land in the middle of surging Interstate 75 development.
Since then, Middletown has hosted a Town Hall at the Towne Mall, which was attended by approximately 80 people; a city council strategic work session; and a request for qualifications, or RFQ, presentation — all with the purpose of redeveloping the site and listening to what the community wants.
A total of $57.7 million for 34 cleanup/remediation projects was announced alongside the $2.5 million for the Towne Mall site as part of the 10th round of funding since the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program was created in 2021.
"Over the years, we've helped transform hundreds of unsafe, blighted and abandoned sites into new centers of opportunity across Ohio," said Governor Mike DeWine. "Through this program, we're building stronger, safer neighborhoods and turning yesterday's liabilities into tomorrow's assets."
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Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Business Wire
$17K Grant from FHLB Dallas and Veritex Community Bank Provides Critical Home Repairs for Texas Veteran
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After years of housing challenges, Army veteran Raymond Rodriguez and his wife, Feliciana, were finally able to make critical repairs to their home. Mr. Rodriguez recently received a $17,400 Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) provided through FHLB Dallas member Veritex Community Bank to make several critical repairs to the couple's home. 'To see something function and to have it nice, it brings peace. Who wants to come home to a house that is falling apart? For Raymond, it's been a burden lifted.' Feliciana Rodriguez Share HAVEN provides grants for home modifications, housing construction and homebuyer down payment assistance to help veterans, reservists and service members who have a service-related disability. It can also be used by Gold Star Families. The grants are provided through FHLB Dallas member financial institutions participating in the program. 'Veritex Community Bank is proud to support programs that make a real difference in people's lives, especially for those who have served our country,' said Melanie Goodman, Veritex Community Bank senior vice president and CRA officer. 'This grant helped create a sense of comfort and reassurance that will carry forward long after the repairs are done.' Mr. Rodriguez, 53, served as an Army infantryman in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded the Purple Heart. During his time in the military, Mr. Rodriguez sustained serious injuries that have resulted in ongoing mobility challenges. The grant funded significant improvements to Mr. Rodriguez's home, including the addition of an accessible bathroom designed to accommodate his mobility needs, the replacement of the roof fascia and soffits and several other essential home repairs. FHLB Dallas allocated $1 million for HAVEN grants in 2025, up from $300,000 in 2024. This year, it also increased the maximum grant from $20,000 to $25,000 and opened the program, originally created for veterans who entered the service after 9/11, to all veterans. 'Having these repairs done brings clarity to the home,' Mrs. Rodriguez said. 'To see something function and to have it nice, it brings peace. Who wants to come home to a house that is falling apart? For Raymond, it's been a burden lifted.' Mr. Rodriguez and his wife have eight children, who range in age from 4 to 27. Five children currently live in the house with them. Two of his sons have followed in his footsteps by joining the military. Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, said FHLB Dallas values opportunities to help veterans improve their lives and homes. 'We're committed to showing up for those who've served our country and helping Mr. Rodriguez make important improvements to his home means a great deal to us,' Mr. Hettrick said. 'We're honored to be a small part of his story.' Learn more about the HAVEN program. About Veritex Bank Veritex Community Bank is a mid-sized community bank serving its customers with a full suite of banking products and services. The bank has convenient branch locations in Houston, Fort Worth, and Dallas, Texas, with total assets of more than $12 billion. The bank, headquartered in Dallas, specializes in providing depository and credit services to small to mid-size businesses, which have been largely neglected by national banks. The name 'Veritex' is derived from the Latin word 'veritas,' meaning truth and 'Texas.' About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $109.9 billion as of March 31, 2025, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit
Indianapolis Star
26-06-2025
- Indianapolis Star
53 routes, 10 million passengers: How the IND airport hits records, captures the hearts of travelers
When Mario Rodriguez stepped in as executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority in 2014, he asked his employees who they thought of as owning the Indianapolis International Airport. The airport authority? The government? The airlines?None of these answers was right. 'It's the people who own the airport because they are the ones who use it,' Rodriguez said. And use the airport they do. Air travel in the United States hit record highs earlier this year, and Indiana is no exception even as some airlines face economic uncertainty. Hoosiers have more nonstop options than ever before out of IND, and although airlines are decreasing the number of daily flights, they are increasing the number of seats on the planes that do fly. A record 10.5 million people traveled through the airport in 2024, and more routes are on the way. At least 15 new flights are launching out of Indianapolis in 2025, traveling to cities such as Austin, Chicago-Midway and New Orleans, and airport officials say there is plenty of room for more. The airport offers nonstop service to 53 destinations – its most ever – headlined by three new international flights and more nonstop service to in-demand West Coast cities such as Portland, Oregon, a long unserved market for Indianapolis travelers. What's made the airport so successful? Airport officials chalk it up to a strong employee base, local business partnerships and an industry that sees Indianapolis as a city ripe with opportunity. 'Ultimately, the Indianapolis airport is an economic engine and economic force,' said IAA senior director of finance Robert Thomson. The airport broke its single day outbound passenger record on May 26, when the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 coincided with Game 3 of the Indiana Pacers matchup against the New York Knicks at home. The approximately 23,400 people who flew the Monday after beat the 13-year record set the day after the 2012 Super Bowl. And if you talk to frequent Indianapolis air travelers, the airport's appeal goes beyond its flights. The Indianapolis International Airport was named the best mid-sized airport in North America this year for the 13th year in a row — a recognition airport officials and Hoosiers both boast proudly – and J.D. Power ranked Indianapolis highest among medium airports in its customer service survey for the third year in a row. "People opt to fly out of Indy compared to driving to Chicago or Cincinnati, and it's a huge reflection of the ease and the options to go places," said Katie Benner, 31, an Indianapolis resident who flies two to three times a year. The airport experience also plays a vital role in welcoming those who have never stepped foot in Indianapolis before, given that the airport is often their first and last impression. 'An airport is a major function of how people perceive a destination,' said Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy. 'Airports that have caused you pain in your travels stick out, and research shows consumers are less likely to come back to those airports.' As passenger numbers grow, the airport is pouring money into capital investments — with projects like a $350 million runway improvement and a $205 million on-site hotel that's been in talks for nearly 20 years — to prepare the airport to serve passengers for years to come. Marsha Wurster likes to geek out about data in her role as senior director of commercial enterprise at the Indianapolis airport. Every day she studies how many people must connect when flying, hoping to use the data to convince an airline to come to Indianapolis. For some pitches, she works with local businesses to gain precise travel data. For instance, when she pitched the return of nonstop service from Indy to Raleigh-Durham in 2022, she tapped Eli Lilly for data since the Indianapolis drugmaker invests millions of dollars in a manufacturing site in North Carolina's Research Triangle. Indianapolis also recently regained transatlantic service with a nonstop flight to Dublin, a hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing with strong cultural and economic ties to Indiana. In a statement, Lilly chief people officer Eric Dozier said the airport is 'crucial to our global operations,' and the new Dublin flight eases travel to Ireland where Lilly has a large presence. Similarly, Salesforce, with 2,000 Indianapolis employees, played a role in bringing back a nonstop United flight to San Francisco in 2014. A campaign in 2017 to get Seattle on the departure board succeeded in part because Gen Con has headquarters there and its annual conference here. But the airport is not just for business travelers. It thrives on a healthy mix of leisure and business travel in addition to being the eighth busiest cargo airport in the country. The number of passengers traveling through the airport has increased 40% since 2010. Nonstop destinations are up 37% since 2010, and Indianapolis has recorded a higher return in seats and flights than comparable markets in recent years. In total, 11 airlines operate out of Indianapolis, including the major American flagship carriers and nearly all of the low-cost airlines, making it a competitive market for flight prices, Rodriguez said. 'Hoosiers like to travel, and what actually plays very well is Hoosiers like to feel like they got value for their money,' Rodriguez said. The competitive market often lures new airlines rather than detracting them. For instance, Irish carrier Aer Lingus saw an opportunity to attract non-loyal flyers on a transatlantic service that no other airline offers. "Indy's been on the radar, because Indy is a big city but its proximity to other big cities really results in it being underserved," Bill Byrne, senior vice president of global sales for Aer Lingus, told IndyStar. "And the market is so divided which also makes it good for us because here at Indy, everybody's sort of an independent consumer." More: Indianapolis airport gains nonstop service to Europe with new Aer Lingus flight to Dublin The airport's layout with its two concourses and a central atrium appeals to airlines because it takes less time to taxi to the runway, saving them money, Rodriguez said. The three-runway layout with two parallel runways allows double the number of planes to land and take off at the same time. 'Airplanes make money when they're up in the air,' Rodriguez said. 'They're burning money when they're down on the ground.' Overnight, all 40 gates are full, as airlines capitalize on early morning flights out of the city. To further increase early morning service, the IAA has begun selling 'remote parking spots' for planes to park overnight while awaiting an open terminal gate. Having an airport with wide connectivity also may be a plus for local businesses when it comes to recruiting new employees, Wurster said. She has heard of employers mentioning the airport when recruiting professionals like physicians or engineers. 'They really want to understand, are they going to be able to travel back to see their families or go to the leisure destinations they want to?' Wurster said. Looking ahead, Wurster said she'd like to see the airport lure a number of new nonstop flights. San Antonio sits near the top of her list with some 80 people traveling daily to the rapidly growing Texas city. At least six of Indy's top 10 underserved markets are on the West Coast. Then there's always more flights for sunny vacations to the Sunshine State. 'Hoosiers seem to like Florida and will fill flights in Florida markets,' Wurster said. 'A really special year': Q&A with top city planner as Indy looks ahead after record 2024 For nearly 20 years, opening a terminal hotel has been at the top of the airport authority's wish list, director of finance Robert Thomson said. About a third of the airport's traffic takes off or lands before 9 a.m., making the airport an in-demand location for a hotel. After three efforts spread across nearly two decades, the Indianapolis airport board in February finally approved plans for a 253-room Westin hotel that will put the airport in line with larger airports, like Chicago O'Hare and Orlando International. The hotel will bring another 150 jobs to the airport campus when it opens in late 2027. A long-awaited public transit line from the airport to downtown will begin construction soon as IndyGo revs up its three-year upgrade of the Route 8 bus to create the Blue Line, the city's third rapid transit line. By 2028, IndyGo will connect the Indianapolis airport to Cumberland on the far east side of the city. Not just travelers will benefit: Many airport employees use the current bus route to get to work every day, and some of the new workers at the hotel are likely to do so as well. 2025 tourism: A look at the biggest events coming to Indianapolis in 2025 Once completed, the Blue Line will operate between 250 and 300 daily trips, up from the 75 to 100 currently offered, said IndyGo chief development officer Brooke Thomas. Buses will run every 15 minutes instead of every 30, Thomas said. 'You're not bound by that schedule anymore. That kind of 15-minute frequency mark is what sort of unlocks that for people,' Thomas said. IndyGo will also upgrade its existing airport bus stop, which Thomas admits can be difficult to find at present, especially for travelers new to Indianapolis. Upgrades will include a real-time sign of the next arriving bus, a station near the ground level transportation area and signs throughout the airport directing people to the station. 'So the second you get off your plane and walk into the terminal, you can find your way to the ground transportation area but not just that, but also to IndyGo,' Thomas said. Even before a rapid transit connection or a hotel steps away, the Indianapolis airport is known to offer a plethora of physical attractions directly tied to the spirit of the city. When Olivia Theobald disembarks a plane in Indianapolis, she immediately encounters reminders that she has arrived home, such as a display of racing cars during the month of May and local restaurants like Harry and Izzy's and Tinker Coffee. Once, a full-size basketball court in the middle of the main concourse to celebrate the 2024 NBA All-Star game greeted her. The 27-year-old said she loves how the airport showcases the city she has long called home. 'I appreciate that and not everywhere you get that,' Theobald said. The growth of local touches at the airport is no accident, but rather, the result of a yearslong effort on airport officials' part to put more than 90% of the airport's profits back into the Indiana economy. 'That is our North Star. We want to make our community better,' Rodriguez said. During the pandemic, airport officials started hiring only local artists for creative work on campus. The airport also paid local creatives to create art for construction walls. When one comes down, another local artist's work replaces it. Even the tables scattered throughout the terminal are built by Indiana furniture makers, including Jasper Group and Purposeful Design, an Indianapolis company where homeless and incarcerated men build wood furniture, including tables shaped like the state of Indiana. And to Rodriguez, the people working out front and behind the scenes at the airport are why it gets the accolades. The airport authority employs more than 550 people, more than half of whom work in customer-facing roles. In total, around 12,000 people work on the campus daily, including airline employees and federal workers. On a recent Thursday morning, Rodriguez strolled through the terminal, stopping to say hello to each employee he encountered, from security personnel to guest services employees. When he saw Hafedh Khemir, a 15-year bus driver, he greeted him in Arabic, Khemir's native language. Khemir could make more in the private sector with his college degree, he says, but he takes pride in being the first face guests encounter when they park in the economy lot. 'When they come, the very first thing they see is the bus driver,' Khemir said, 'and I take that responsibility, and I make them feel that they are very welcome… Our business is to take care of them." The extra effort by employees like Khemir doesn't go unnoticed by those traveling through the airport. Earlier this month, Suzie Crews, 53, flew to Indianapolis on a two-day work trip that marked her second time at the airport. Coming from Charlotte, North Carolina, she remarked how easy it was to navigate the Indianapolis airport, from parking a rental car to going through security. Charlotte may have idyllic white rockers, while New York's JFK has a hotel with a pool overlooking the airfield, but Crews and her coworker agreed that the Indianapolis airport has its own asset: How easy and pleasant it is to navigate it. 'We love going through TSA here because they are not grumpy workers,' Crews said. 'It's like they understand that it is stressful to travel.'
25-06-2025
NBA owners unanimously approve $1.5B sale of Wolves, WNBA's Lynx from Taylor to Lore-Rodriguez group
MINNEAPOLIS -- The $1.5 billion sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves from Glen Taylor to an investment group led by e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez gained NBA approval on Tuesday, finalizing a complex and contentious process more than four years after the deal was reached. The ownership transfer that Taylor tried to stop last year received an unanimous vote from the league's board of governors that comprises the 30 team owners. The deal, which is expected to close this week nearly 51 months and more than 1,500 days after the initial agreement, includes the four-time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx. The Timberwolves are planning an introductory news conference for Lore and Rodriguez next month in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League. Lore and Rodriguez will serve as co-chairmen on the board, with Lore as Timberwolves governor and Rodriguez as alternate governor, the league announced. For the Lynx, Rodriguez will serve as governor and Lore as alternate governor. 'We fully recognize the great responsibility that comes with serving as stewards of these exceptional franchises,' Lore said in a statement distributed by the organization. "We are committed to building an organization that sets the standard for excellence, is universally admired, and rooted in pride that spans generations.' The business partners and close friends who met during the pandemic over a Zoom call have said they're committed to keeping the teams in Minnesota. 'I've dedicated my entire life to the world of sports, not just as a game, but as a powerful force that unites people, uplifts communities, and changes lives,' Rodriguez said. 'I'm incredibly honored and energized to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I know what it takes to be a champion, and I'm ready to bring that same commitment and drive to create a winning culture in Minnesota.' The 83-year-old Taylor, who grew up on a Minnesota dairy farm and built a fortune with a business that specialized in printing wedding invitations, bought the Timberwolves for about $88 million in 1994 to prevent them from moving after a deal between the original owners and a group in New Orleans was nixed by the NBA. After Lore and Rodriguez were outbid for the New York Mets by hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, they turned their attention to basketball after learning Taylor was exploring a sale. The deal was arranged in phases to allow Taylor to stay as a mentor of sorts. The value of the franchise has more than doubled since that April 10, 2021, agreement due largely to soaring NBA revenues. Forbes has estimated the Timberwolves are worth $3.1 billion. Sportico's most recent calculations pegged the club at $3.29 billion. Both publications put them as the third-lowest in the league, playing in a midsized market in a 35-year-old arena. The Lynx have been valued between $230 million (Forbes) and $240 million ( Sportico), in the bottom half of the league that's in the midst of an expansion to 16 teams by 2028. Taylor announced on March 28, 2024, he was exercising his right to back out of the sale because Lore and Rodriguez missed the deadline to purchase a third portion of the club that would have given their group about an 80% stake. Lore and Rodriguez were blindsided by the decision and defended their integrity, accusing Taylor of having seller's remorse. They blamed the payment delay on the slow pace of the league's approval process and said they submitted paperwork six days ahead of the deadline. The dispute first went to mediation and then to arbitration, where a three-panel judge ruled in favor of Lore and Rodriguez. Their group, which includes former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Google executive Eric Schmidt, has been poised to buy Taylor and his partners completely out rather than the leave him with a 20% stake from the initial agreement. Taylor decided in April not to appeal the arbitration decision, near the end of his 31st season controlling the team. The Timberwolves saved him the best for last, reaching the Western Conference finals for a second straight year before losing to NBA champion Oklahoma City. Even after making the playoffs in each of Taylor's final four seasons, the Timberwolves have the worst all-time regular season record — 1,196-1,680, a .416 winning percentage — of the league's current 30 franchises. They're 39-55 in playoff games, with a first-round elimination in 10 of the 13 times they qualified. Taylor and his wife, Becky, published a farewell message in Monday's print edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune, which Taylor bought in 2014. The Timberwolves also posted it on the front of their website. 'This marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in our lives — one filled with purpose, pride, and a deep connection. When we kept the Timberwolves from moving to New Orleans in 1994, we did so with the hope of building something that could unite people across Minnesota and beyond. And when we added the Lynx in 1998, it was driven by our belief in supporting women and fully embracing the diversity and promise of the WNBA,' the Taylors said, thanking their limited partners, the players, the staff, the community and the fans for their support. 'Though we are stepping away as owners, our love for this organization and this community remains as strong as ever. We will always be fans, cheering from our seats, celebrating your triumphs, and believing in what comes next. It has been the honor of our lives.' Lore, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $2.9 billion, is the CEO of the New York-based meal delivery service Wonder. He has founded e-commerce companies that were previously acquired by retail giants Walmart and Amazon. Rodriguez, a 14-time All-Star who hit 696 career home runs but has fallen short of Hall of Fame induction due to his admitted use of performance enhancing drugs, built a business career around real estate investment and development. He made more than $450 million in salaries over 22 years in the major leagues.
