Harrison County reviews business projects

Harrison County Community Improvement Corp. Executive Director Nick Homrighausen filled in for absent President Dale Arbaugh during the organization’s June 9 meeting and discussed several potential business projects in the county.

After Vice President Dave Wheeler presented the organization’s financial report, Homrighausen updated members on Project Phoenix. He said he, Treasurer John Jones and attorney John Tabacchi have participated in calls and meetings with the group.

“They continue to value many sites around Harrison County,” Homrighausen said.

He said he received an update call last week about data gathering for a specific site and expects to hear back in the next two weeks.

“So that continues to move forward,” he told the board at the Puskarich Public Library in Cadiz.

Homrighausen also discussed another project, saying information came directly to the HC CIC rather than through the state of Ohio or Ohio Southeast Economic Development. He said a letter of intent was prepared for a specific site, and the organization is waiting for the landowner to discuss the matter with legal counsel.

He then discussed Project Ness, saying it has a land option within the county and includes power to the site. He said that matter will be discussed later and he hopes there will be an announcement soon.

“And so that’s a positive there as well,” he said.

Homrighausen said Project Decca has a pending option on a “mega site” in the county. No contract has been signed, but he said the project could be finalized within weeks and the group is close to signing an agreement with the landowner.

Another project, called Project GigaVolt, remains in the data-gathering and due diligence phase. Homrighausen said the group is looking at multiple sites and asked questions about infrastructure during a call before Memorial Day weekend.

He said the state has asked the HC CIC to apply for “specific state leads,” and seven Harrison County sites were submitted.

“And so, the state continues to focus on our region, specifically the infrastructure of the gas and oil, coupled with the mega sites and the electrical infrastructure, railroad infrastructure that is here,” Homrighausen said.

“And so that is a positive. Again, it’s like Russian roulette. All we can do is continue to shoot into the barrel and respond to these leads,” he said.

Homrighausen also said he and Jones met the previous week with gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and his running mate, Rob McColley, to discuss the county and region’s needs.

“Obviously, we would entertain any candidates on both sides of the aisle so that we can continue to carry the Harrison County flag and talk about our needs,” Homrighausen said.

Commissioner Paul Prevot said a tentative meeting to discuss data centers is being planned at the fairgrounds. He said July 9 is the likely date, and efforts to line up speakers are ongoing.

“A neutral conversation and just open it up to dialogue and get some people talking,” Prevot said.

Wheeler said the more information people have, “the better decisions they can make.”