Ironton City Council members must wait until their first December meeting before receiving a petition for annexation.

Tuesday, November 23, 1999

Ironton City Council members must wait until their first December meeting before receiving a petition for annexation.

Seeking annexation into the city limits is a portion of the Storms Creek Apartments project, an undertaking of the Marietta-based Arthur Howard Winer and Associates.

The company is the same one responsible for the Park Avenue Apartments complex, and is in the process of renovating the former Marting Hotel into apartments for senior citizens on a fixed income. That project is scheduled for completion in early 2000.

The same company also is planning apartments on 10th Street.

Although the petition was received by council in time for Thursday’s regular meeting, the requested property area was incorrect and council members decided to wait until the revised petition was sent before studying the issue, Ironton Mayor Bob Cleary said.

"It is written right now only to be the Winer property for the project that is requested for annexation, when, in fact, all of the surrounding property also should have been part of the petition, we were told," Cleary said. "The new petition will be submitted soon."

The 10th Street apartments will be similar in nature, but a smaller scale, multi-site project.

The Storms Creek Apartments, designed and implemented by Arthur Howard Winer and Associates – the same company responsible for the ongoing renovations at the former Marting Hotel – will be a great addition to the city, Cleary said.

"Any time we can develop vacant properties in the city is good for the city," Cleary said. "These apartments will help take care of some of the housing needs in the city."

Scheduled for development with 16 two-bedroom units and 34 one-bedroom units, financing for the apartments comes from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, which recently approved more than $6.5 million for three affordable hosing projects in the state.

Ironton’s project will receive a Compensating Balance Loan and a $1.5 million Equity Bridge Loan, Gov. Bob Taft’s office said. The project non-profit sponsor is the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization.