20 riverfront townhouses, a $6M project, landing in Huron

HURON — People can expect to see 20 new townhouses wash ashore at a riverfront property in Huron.Within two years' time, developers plan on investing $6 million in private funds to construct high-end, multistory residential properties at the former ConAgra site. It's located beside Huron's public boat ramp off Cleveland Road East (U.S. 6).The project's first phase also calls for building a roadway, installing utilities and creating a public park.Local officials and city council members hammered out the details with executives representing Cleveland-based Liberty Development, a reputable real estate company overseeing many other similar projects across Ohio.Liberty would eventually acquire the city-owned land. Yet certain areas, including the park, would remain public property."We have been working with them, back and forth, over the course of a year," city manager Andy White said. "But this summer, it picked up, and they expressed strong interest in being a player."A sign displays the possibility for future development at the former ConAgra site in Huron on Tuesday, August 29, 2017. The negotiations took place behind closed doors. In a few specific instances, namely for real estate transactions, state law allows governments to conduct such public matters in private. Officials, however, signed the final document, called a "services agreement" during an open meeting."Over the last several weeks, we completed a services agreement, which gives them exclusive rights to development," White said.White believes construction on the townhouses could start as soon as July 2018 and finish no more than a year later. He's also confident about finding a buyer for all 20 properties. Each unit, averaging out to about 2,000 square feet, totals about $300,000 to own."People in the market that buy luxury boats would also be the customer base for that type of residential unit," White said. "But our market analysis would determine exactly how this would work."The project's second phase, coming at an unknown cost after these townhouses get built, involves luring businesses and commercial entities onto this 11-acre site."We are making sure the first phase can be successful, to add additional revenue and resources within the community, to bring more valuation onto the former ConAgra property," White said.Standing empty on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, the former ConAgra site in Huron will soon be developed into high-end, multistory residential properties by Cleveland-based Liberty Development. Cleaning up the former ConAgra siteHuron officials took their time to find what they perceive as a right fit for the former ConAgra site.After imploding the former grain elevator — by obtaining state grants totaling $8.3 million — in 2012, city officials waited almost three full years before pursing development opportunities there. The state government needed this time to first ensure city officials properly cleaned the property, which they did, before any advancement occurred at this site.Not too long afterward, city council members zoned the site as "mixed-use," meaning it could morph into a commercial district, a business park, residential properties or a hybrid of all three.Officials previously hired a consultant to deliver the most realistic options for development opportunities, which resulted in successful negotiations recently taking place with Liberty Development"The city has been committed to a specific redevelopment strategy needed to realize an improved quality of life since ConAgra's acquisition in 2006," said White, referencing how the city obtained this parcel after the company ceased operations in Huron."Leveraging over $8 million in outside funding has prepared it for this next critical step: private investment and formal development," White added. "While there is still work to be done, as a community, we have never been closer to realizing a new era. This is a defining moment, and it's exciting."Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.