Companies committed to ConAgra in Huron

HURON — After previously starting, stopping and resetting the process several times over, Huron officials finally believe they can move forward with a long-awaited project to reactivate the former ConAgra site. During a recent public meeting, city council members selected a proposal to, ideally, resurrect this long-dormant waterfront property into a residential setting. The plan calls for a joint venture between K. Hovnanian's Ohio division and Knez Homes, out of Painesville, to build nearly 100 townhomes standing two or three stories high. "It's not too often you find a three-sided waterfront property on Lake Erie that's ready for development," said Bo Knez, the president and CEO of Knez Homes, referring to the north, east and west views of the Huron River from this location. "We still have a long way to go on everything." Throughout this summer, local officials and community members placed on a special committee listened to this proposal and one other from another company. Those on the committee, created by city council, asked questions and vetted both sets of proposals. But here's what pushed the joint venture plan over the top as explained by Huron city manager Matt Lasko. "What really stood out, first and foremost, was the horsepower both of these companies have in terms of financial capabilities but also the capacity to undertake large development projects," Lasko said. "K. Hovnanian is one of the top 20 home builders in the nation while Knez Homes continues to be one of the largest home builders in northern Ohio." They're also flexible in the design process, Lasko said. "We can be assured that what gets built in Huron will make sense for the community," Lasko said. When could it be built? Regarding a time frame, Lasko hopes the companies can begin construction in early 2025 with people moving in possibly sometime thereafter. "I can't put a timeline of exactly when there will be a shovel in the ground," Lasko said. "But I can tell you we will begin immediately in terms of negotiating a development agreement and purchase agreement for the site so that they can start their due diligence and advance their architectural drawings this fall, which is a critical step prior to going to planning commission for final approval to build," Lasko said. Why is a purchase agreement necessary? "The city does intend to sell the land, however, the companies are agreeable to ensuring that there is public access around the perimeter of the site," said Lasko comparing the layout to Chesapeake Lofts in downtown Sandusky. "One of the things Huron prides itself on is public space and waterfront access, and we thought it was critical to ensure that not just the residents of the site but the public also gets the enjoyment of waterfront views," he said. Huron also selected this joint venture plan because of the financials. While this project represents a multimillion-dollar investment, a complete financial breakdown is not yet avaialble. Officials must still work those details out with the companies. Regarding the public contribution, however, it could total between $4 million and $5 million, "which is exclusively only to be used to reconstruct the seawall on the north and east sides of the property," Lasko said. "It's 80 years old, and the foundation needs to be strengthened." But local taxpayers actually won't contribute a single cent. "It will 100% be repaid by the future homeowners that will live in the development." "Economics do matter," Lasko said. "This proposal was seeking the least amount of public assistance to offset public infrastructure costs, which was also intriguing to council." The last hiccup This past fall, a deal fell through with a different company on an entirely separate agreement. In a nutshell, officials disagreed with the firm's vision for this land. "They proposed some fairly substantial changes to the original plan that was presented to the community in 2021," said Lasko, noting this largely involved a sizable reduction in the number of on-site residential units and commercial spaces. The original plan showed crews building upward of 70 homes, a mix of townhouses and condominiums, with retail and commercial components contained in three-story structures. It also allowed for public space in and around the site. Those plans, if built to fruition, represented a $30 million investment. At an impasse, both sides agreed to mutually part ways. Because a deal didn't go through, Huron retains the rights of this land, making the city government its owner. Moving on Huron officials quickly pivoted, immediately restarting the process to solicit companies interested in developing this land. Many tasks undertaken by the former company and Huron's government rolled over into this newer proposal. This would include previously establishing a special tax arrangement in partnership with Huron Schools and EHOVE Career Center. "We have done a lot of background work that, by no means, will be lost," Lasko said. "It was necessary to allow any type of development to move forward on that site. The site, at this point, is completely ready from a financing point," Lasko added. "And, being in a state that makes it developable, we want to select a developer and bring that final design to planning commission as soon as possible." Have faith This project, for more than a decade now, keeps getting delayed for a variety of reasons, all centering on this development's complex nature. It's caused several plans to ultimately fail. Realizing plans for the site — a previous grain elevator that imploded during a public event in 2012 — have gone through many starts, stops, resets and pauses since then, Lasko understands why many community members might feel frustrated. But he offered up the following. "Without question, this site is much more unique than a 40-acre cornfield or greenfield existing in a suburb or in some rural area," Lasko said. "We are dealing with the need to have significant public infrastructure financed," he added. "We are dealing with the Army Corps of Engineers on significant seawall improvements And we also know this site demands a very unique type of design that will do it justice and be something the community can be proud of." Many locals have been critical of the city's government about its inability to get something built there. Lasko countered those claims. "What may be viewed as one or two failures over the years, we view it as absolutely being necessary in making sure we get a perfect development for that site that this community deserves," said Lasko, describing the former ConAgra site as "one of the greatest redevelopment opportunities along Lake Erie if not the entire set of Great Lakes." "We feel it's better to take the time to get the right project than to push something through that is not going to raise to the standard that this community expects," he said.