Officials still eye Ironton development

Created corporation acquiring property to begin marketing

By Teresa Moore | The Tribune

Published Sunday, February 21, 2010

Local leaders said Thursday that work continues to turn several parcels of land in the Ninth Street area of Ironton into a cohesive commodity that can eventually be sold to business developers.

Ralph Kline, assistant executive director of the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization, told the Lawrence County Commission he hopes to finalize the sale of some of the properties, including the former engineer’s garage and the former group home, both owned by the county, this week.

Six to seven other parcels have already been sold to The Old Engineer Property LLC, the limited liability company whose job it will be to eventually market and sell the property.

The limited liability company is comprised of several area entities working together to redevelop the Ninth Street land. It includes the Ironton and Lawrence County port authorities, the CAO and Lawrence Economic Development Corporation.

“Once we get the footprint established we can put together some appropriate marketing,” Kline said.

Ironton Port Authority member Bill Dickens said the underground portion of environmental assessment for the county garage and the old national guard armory are moving forward. The surface assessment for the properties has yet to be done.

The land near the Park Avenue/ U.S. 52 interchange is approximately six acres.

“It’s a sizeable piece, something extremely rare in this area,” Kline said. “Its mostly flat, its good developable property. It has utilities.”

Kline said there has been in the past and continues to be interest in the land.

“I’m excited about what future plans might be out there and the development within the next couple of years,” Commissioner Les Boggs said.

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