Move final leg of TJX train onto the fast track in Valley

Few would refute the proposition that 2018 has been most unkind to the Mahoning Valley economy. Throughout the year, a veritable battering ram slammed one hit after another after another on once-secure jobs at once stalwart business institutions in our region.

Just a partial casualty toll from the past 12 months would include the closing of Northside Regional Medical Center, the shuttering of all remaining Kmart, Sears and Toy ‘R Us stores, the demise of the once-buzzing Kmart Regional Distribution Center in Bazetta and, most notably, the dramatic downsizing of the General Motors Lordstown Complex with the very real possibility of its permanent closing early next year.

Against that backdrop of gloom, however, rose a few bright spots, including the opening of the $900 million Lords- town Energy Center and significant job growth at Vallourec Star and other steel-product manufacturers.

One of the most promising projects that had to endure more than its fair share of turmoil, drama and uncertainty since its public announcement 10 months ago is the 1.2-million square-foot TJX Industries Inc. distribution center, warehouse and office complex on 290 acres within a stone’s throw of the iconic GM Lordstown plant.

Despite TJX’s preference for the site over many others it explored in the East and Midwest for its new HomeGoods warehouse, the project has been fraught with complications.

A small but vocal group of residents fought tooth and nail the needed rezoning of a portion of the site from residential to commercial use. That conflict made it on to a special election ballot in June, where the zone change was overwhelmingly approved. Then post-election challenges ensued that were finally put to rest by a Trumbull County judge who upheld the rezoning.

HEADING INTO HOME STRETCH

Now that a green light is flashing brightly for the massive job-creating endeavor, it behooves Lordstown, Trumbull County and state leaders to move the project onto the fast track by putting together all of the pieces of the distribution center’s planning and incentives puzzle as aggressively and as expeditiously as possible.

The state of Ohio has done just that. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority already has approved a job-creation tax credit worth about $3.5 million to HomeGoods as long as TJX lives up to its pledges to create about 1,000 jobs with an average annual payroll of about $27 million and to keep the operations off Ellsworth-Bailey Road humming for a minimum of 13 years.

On the local level, however, the slog continues. We were disappointed in the failure of Lordstown Village Counciil to formally approve its part of the incentive package to TJX at its meeting earlier this week, as Village Mayor Arno Hill had urged members to do.

Concerns over the absence of one of six council members and questions over some late revisions in the incentives package mean the soonest it will gain final council authorization will be late this month.

Once that happens, the package could make its way to the Board of Trumbull County Commissioners for a public hearing and then final official action.

If all goes well, the incentives package can be all wrapped up by spring to pave the way for a groundbreaking for the project not too long after that.

In Tucson, Ariz., where TJX opened a slightly smaller 850,000-square-foot HomeGoods distribution center in 2016, the time frame from final project approval by city council to grand opening spanned about 18 months. We hope that timetable can be repeated here.

We also hope the success of the HomeGoods center will motivate communities and development organizations such as the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber to shift into overdrive. Clearly, the success in attracting a prestigious Fortune 500 company with $33 billion in annual revenue and 3,800 stores worldwide can serve as an alluring calling card to hand out to other potential corporate suitors in the Valley.

After all, our region still has the right stuff that can prime it for additional growth. Those assets include a centralized location to major markets, easy access to strong highway and rail transit and, most notably, a large and skilled workforce.

TJX clearly has recognized the value of those assets. In 2019 and beyond, we hope other diverse businesses and industries will do likewise.