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Areas of Opportunity in Columbus: Highlights from the Columbus Opportunity Summit

Client Alert

On April 27, 2023, Columbus Business First held its annual Columbus Opportunity Summit, bringing together business and economic development leaders to provide an update on how Central Ohio is preparing for expected growth in the coming years, an issue heightened by the arrival of Intel at its 1,000-acre site in Licking County, just outside of Columbus. The site will be home to two new chip factories with room to grow to a total of eight factories and is a $20 billion investment.

Logistics

Ohio already is known as the ‘heart of America.’ It is within one day’s drive of 60% of the continental U.S. Ohio is also the fourth largest rail transporter by mileage and suppliers. Areas for opportunity include supporting and scaling logistical providers and connecting local and regional supply chains.

Infrastructure

New Albany, a suburb minutes from Downtown Columbus, has earmarked $300M to grow infrastructure with a focus on connecting people to their everyday needs. This means that developing communities will include jobs, housing, groceries, and daycares in one central location. Areas for opportunity include city and regional planning with a focus on connecting to adjacent communities.

AEP is working to bring fiber to its existing broadband network and has implemented technology that helps share electricity loads to help cover areas experiencing outages. Areas for opportunity include training and hiring line workers and other skilled labor forces.

Ohio’s Site Inventory Program

Ohio has implemented its Site Inventory Program to help Ohio be competitive for site selection projects. The program provides authenticated sites that are “shovel ready,” meaning they have power and water on site and have state and federal approval without limits. There are currently 30-40 authenticated sites in Ohio.

Conclusion

Columbus has demonstrated significant growth in commerce and population, and with the arrival of Intel, central Ohio cities will need to collaborate to grow together and connect their development. Cohesive growth will be essential for competing for federal funding and building successful long-term systems. BMD has significant experience in business growth, construction law, contract negotiation, compliance with federal grant laws, and employment law issues. If you would like to discuss these topics further, please contact Kelly Jena at Kejena@bmdllc.com.


Employer COVID Toolkit

As employees come back to work and employers operate “mid-COVID” in the “new normal,” employers must update their Employee Handbook and related employment policies. BMD has put together an Employer COVID Toolkit to supplement an employer’s existing Employee Handbook and policies to ensure compliance with the Department of Labor guidance, OSHA, FFCRA, the CARES Act and state law. Below is a description of policies and their purpose.

SBA Releases New Frequently Asked Question (No. 49) - Maturity Dates for PPP Loans

On June 25, 2020 the SBA released a new Frequently Asked Question (No. 49) concerning the maturity dates for PPP Loans as modified by the recently passed Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act. All PPP Loans received on or after June 5, 2020, will have a five-year maturity. Any PPP Loan received before June 5, 2020, has a two-year maturity, unless the borrower and lender mutually agree to extend the term of the loan to five years. Businesses should address the maturity issue with their SBA lender and discuss any available change to the loan maturity date.

Top 10 Signs that May Indicate Financial Distress

The business world has been turned upside down with COVID-19 and the financial disruption it has created. Once healthy businesses are taking protective measures to remain viable. The impact of this health and financial crisis has affected nearly all industries in some manner. Being aware of areas or issues where your company is vulnerable is critically important. We have identified ten signs to look for when evaluating whether your company has some degree of financial distress.

HHS Delays Quarterly Reporting for Provider Relief Funds

There is good news for providers that received either (1) General Distributions from the HHS Provider Relief Funds [link to my article], or (2) Targeted Distributions from the HHS Provider Relief Funds [link to Ashley’s article]. HHS reversed its stance requiring quarterly reports for providers that received Provider Relief Funds and PPP loan monies. The initial quarterly reports would have been due by July 10, 2020. However, on June 13, 2020, HHS delayed the quarterly reporting requirement.

July 20 is Important Deadline for HHS Fund Distributions to Medicaid and CHIP Providers

On June 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released details on the distribution of more CARES Act Provider Relief Fund payments. After allocating $50 billion to Medicare providers through its General Distribution fund, HHS has now announced that it will distribute $15 billion to eligible Medicaid and CHIP providers who apply by the deadline through a Targeted Distribution. Applicants must apply through the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal. The application form itself can be found on the HHS website and is due by July 20, 2020.