Columbus Council Weighs Emergency Financing for WestBend Project on Fisher Road
A proposed new community authority and 30-year tax district would fund public infrastructure for 895 apartments while protecting Columbus City Schools tax revenue.
Columbus City Hall in downtown Columbus, where City Council is scheduled to take up the WestBend development legislation.
Credit: Ɱ / Wikimedia Commons Image source
An emergency resolution to establish the WestBend Community Authority is on the Columbus City Council agenda for Monday, Oct. 26, according to council meeting records, the agenda schedule, and resolution filings.
The companion emergency measures create the WestBend TIF and authorize a Tax Increment Financing and Cooperative Agreement and a Utility Cooperative Agreement, according to the tax ordinance and development legislation.
Developer WestBend QOZB, LLC, an affiliate of Thrive Companies LLC, intends to privately invest nearly $200 million in the project at Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue, according to city economic development records.
City officials introduced the legislative package under emergency rules because the developer's lender requires financing for the residential construction to close before the end of October, according to municipal filings. The lender will not close the loan unless the city first establishes the community authority, creates the tax district, and executes the cooperative agreements. Without the financing, apartment construction could face delays beyond deadlines established in the project's economic development agreement, resulting in a loss of new housing units and construction jobs.
Brownfield Transformation Along the Scioto River
The developer will develop the former Buckeye Auto Parts brownfield site, consisting of approximately 50.28 acres bounded generally by McKinley Avenue, the New York Central Railroad, the Scioto River, and Lake Shore Drive, according to community authority filings. The property is located at the intersection of Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue, according to economic development records.
Plans call for constructing approximately 895 apartment units, including designated affordable housing units, and up to 8,000 square feet of retail space, according to economic development filings. The development plan also incorporates off-street surface parking and resident amenities.
The mixed-use commercial and residential development will also include about 17 acres of green space and bikeways, according to council records.
The legislative package follows several years of administrative preparations. City Council initially approved the economic development agreement on July 31, 2023, and the city and developer executed that contract on April 19, 2024, according to city records. Council approved a first amendment to the development agreement on June 22, 2026, which the parties executed on Aug. 19, 2026. The developer submitted a formal petition to organize the WestBend Community Authority on Aug. 28, 2026, and council determined the petition was sufficient on Sept. 14, 2026, before holding a public hearing on Sept. 29, 2026, council filings show.
Tax Exemption and School Revenue Protections
The proposed tax increment financing district provides a 100 percent real property tax exemption on parcel improvements for up to 30 years across each of the three phases, according to the financing ordinance. For each phase, the exemption begins on Jan. 1 of the tax year in which at least $5 million of improvements from new building values appear on county tax duplicate records, according to the ordinance text.
Under the financing structure, Columbus City Schools will receive all the property tax revenue that the district would have collected had the exemption not been granted, according to city records. Property owners will make annual service payments in lieu of taxes, and the applicable school share will be distributed directly to the school district, the ordinance states.
The city is foregoing 100 percent of the real property tax revenue it would have received from the development, diverting the non-school portion into the tax increment equivalent fund for public infrastructure, according to city fiscal records.
Infrastructure Bonds and Master-Metered Utilities
Under a companion cooperative agreement among the city, the WestBend Community Authority, and the developer, the city will use the tax increment equivalent fund to reimburse development revenue bonds issued by the authority, according to city legislation.
The authority will issue development revenue bonds to pay for public infrastructure improvements described in the agreement, including public roads, utilities, parks, recreation and community centers, and real estate acquisition, according to ordinance filings.
A separate utility cooperative agreement governs the ongoing operation and maintenance of water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure across the site, according to council documents. Under that agreement, the community authority will coordinate the delivery of water and sanitary sewer services to the parcels through a master meter with the city, city records state.
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The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Supporting evidence (2)
An emergency resolution to establish the WestBend Community Authority is on the Columbus City Council agenda for Monday, Oct. 26, according to council meeting records, the agenda schedule, and resolution filings.
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REGULAR MEETING NO. 47 OF COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL, MONDAY,
An emergency resolution to establish the WestBend Community Authority is on the Columbus City Council agenda for Monday, Oct. 26, according to council meeting records, the agenda schedule, and resolution filings.
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Monday, October 26, 2026
Supporting evidence (6)
An emergency resolution to establish the WestBend Community Authority is on the Columbus City Council agenda for Monday, Oct. 26, according to council meeting records, the agenda schedule, and resolution filings.
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To declare that the establishment of the WestBend Community Authority will be conducive to the public safety, convenience, and welfare and is intended to result in the development of a new community; to declare the WestBend Community Authority to be organized as a body politic and corporate within the new community district; to define the boundary of the WestBend Community Authority’s new community district; to approve an alternative dissolution method of the WestBend Community Authority; to certify compliance of the requirements of the public hearing; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
City officials introduced the legislative package under emergency rules because the developer's lender requires financing for the residential construction to close before the end of October, according to municipal filings.
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Emergency action is requested to immediately establish the WestBend Community Authority as the Developer’s lender is requiring the Developer to close on the apartment financing before the end of the month but the lender will not close unless the City first establishes the WestBend Community Authority and without such financing the apartments may be delayed beyond the deadline in the EDA causing a loss of new housing units and construction jobs.
The developer will develop the former Buckeye Auto Parts brownfield site, consisting of approximately 50.28 acres bounded generally by McKinley Avenue, the New York Central Railroad, the Scioto River, and Lake Shore Drive, according to community authority filings.
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The Developer will develop, in multiple phases, the former Buckeye Auto Parts brownfield site consisting of approximately 50.28 acres of the real property bounded generally by McKinley Avenue and the New York Central Railroad to the south and west, the Scioto River to the east, and Lake Shore Drive to the north (“WestBend”).
The mixed-use commercial and residential development will also include about 17 acres of green space and bikeways, according to council records.
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WHEREAS, WestBend will consist of a mixed-use commercial and residential development of approximately 895 apartment units and up to 8,000 square feet of retail uses, together with about 17 acres of green space and bikeways;
City Council initially approved the economic development agreement on July 31, 2023, and the city and developer executed that contract on April 19, 2024, according to city records.
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WESTBEND QOZB, LLC (the “Developer”), an affiliate of Thrive Companies LLC, and the City have entered into an Economic Development Agreement dated April 19, 2024, as amended by the First Amendment to Economic Development Agreement dated August 19, 2026, (together, the “EDA”) pursuant to Ordinance No. 1866-2023 passed by City Council on July 31, 2023 and Ordinance No. 1511-2026 passed by City Council on June 22, 2026.
The developer submitted a formal petition to organize the WestBend Community Authority on Aug. 28, 2026, and council determined the petition was sufficient on Sept. 14, 2026, before holding a public hearing on Sept. 29, 2026, council filings show.
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On August 28, 2026, a Petition for the Organization of the WestBend Community Authority (the “Petition”) was submitted to the Clerk of City Council. City Council, by Resolution No. 0190X-2026, passed September 14, 2026, determined the sufficiency of the Petition, set a time and place for a public hearing on the Petition, which was held on September 29, 2026, and authorized notices thereof.
Supporting evidence (9)
The companion emergency measures create the WestBend TIF and authorize a Tax Increment Financing and Cooperative Agreement and a Utility Cooperative Agreement, according to the tax ordinance and development legislation.
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To create the WestBend TIF encompassing property at the southwest, southeast, and northeast, corners of the intersection of Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue and between the New York Central Railroad to the west and the Scioto River to the east; to declare improvements to those parcel(s) to be a public purpose and exempt from real property taxation; to require the owner(s) of those parcel(s) to make service payments in lieu of taxes; to require the distribution of the applicable portion of those service payments to the Columbus City Schools; to establish a municipal public improvement tax increment equivalent fund for the deposit of the remainder of those non-school service payments; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Developer WestBend QOZB, LLC, an affiliate of Thrive Companies LLC, intends to privately invest nearly $200 million in the project at Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue, according to city economic development records.
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WESTBEND QOZB, LLC (the “Developer”), an affiliate of Thrive Companies LLC, and the City entered into the Economic Development Agreement dated April 19, 2024, as amended by the First Amendment to Economic Development Agreement dated August 19, 2026 (together, the “EDA”), pursuant to Ordinance No. 1866-2023 passed by City Council on July 31, 2023 and Ordinance No. 1511-2026 passed by City Council on June 22, 2026. The EDA provides for the mutual commitments and obligations made towards the former Buckeye Auto Parts brownfield site consisting of approximately 50.28 acres of the real property at the southwest, southeast, and northeast, corners of the intersection of Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue and between the New York Central Railroad to the west and the Scioto River to the east (the “Site”). The Developer intends to privately invest nearly $200 million to develop in multiple phases approximately 895 apartment units (including affordable housing units), up to 8,000 square feet of retail, off-street surface parking, and appropriate associated amenities.
The property is located at the intersection of Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue, according to economic development records.
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The EDA provides for the mutual commitments and obligations made towards the former Buckeye Auto Parts brownfield site consisting of approximately 50.28 acres of the real property at the southwest, southeast, and northeast, corners of the intersection of Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue and between the New York Central Railroad to the west and the Scioto River to the east (the “Site”).
Plans call for constructing approximately 895 apartment units, including designated affordable housing units, and up to 8,000 square feet of retail space, according to economic development filings.
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The Developer intends to privately invest nearly $200 million to develop in multiple phases approximately 895 apartment units (including affordable housing units), up to 8,000 square feet of retail, off-street surface parking, and appropriate associated amenities.
The proposed tax increment financing district provides a 100 percent real property tax exemption on parcel improvements for up to 30 years across each of the three phases, according to the financing ordinance.
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The WestBend TIF provides for a one hundred percent (100%) exemption from real property taxation on improvements to the parcels within the WestBend TIF for a not more than a thirty-year period for all parcels in each of three separate phases (or any other phases designated by ordinance) within the WestBend TIF.
For each phase, the exemption begins on Jan. 1 of the tax year in which at least $5 million of improvements from new building values appear on county tax duplicate records, according to the ordinance text.
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commencing contemporaneously for all Parcels in each Phase (as identified and depicted on Exhibit A, or any other phases designated by ordinance) on January 1 of the tax year in which at least an aggregate of five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) of Improvements due to new building values would appear on the tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property for the Parcels in that Phase
Under the financing structure, Columbus City Schools will receive all the property tax revenue that the district would have collected had the exemption not been granted, according to city records.
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Columbus City Schools will receive, in the same manner as usual, all amounts that they would have received in real property taxes had the tax exemption not been granted.
Property owners will make annual service payments in lieu of taxes, and the applicable school share will be distributed directly to the school district, the ordinance states.
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Annual service payments in lieu of taxes will be made by the owner(s) of each parcel with respect to the exempted improvements of the WestBend TIF parcels. The applicable portion of those service payments will be distributed directly to Columbus City Schools.
The city is foregoing 100 percent of the real property tax revenue it would have received from the development, diverting the non-school portion into the tax increment equivalent fund for public infrastructure, according to city fiscal records.
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The City is foregoing one hundred percent (100%) of the real property tax revenue that it would have received from development on the WestBend TIF parcels. Instead, the non-school portion of that revenue will be diverted to the TIF fund to support public infrastructure improvements.
Supporting evidence (5)
The companion emergency measures create the WestBend TIF and authorize a Tax Increment Financing and Cooperative Agreement and a Utility Cooperative Agreement, according to the tax ordinance and development legislation.
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To appropriate and authorize the expenditure or transfer of funds deposited or to be deposited in the WestBend TIF Fund pursuant to the following agreement; to authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into the Tax Increment Financing and Cooperative Agreement between the City, WestBend Community Authority, and WestBend QOZB, LLC to reimburse bonds issued by the WestBend Community Authority for the costs of public infrastructure improvements described thereunder benefiting WestBend QOZB, LLC’s development at the intersection of Fisher Road and McKinley Avenue; to authorize the Director of Columbus Water & Power to enter into the Utility Cooperative Agreement between the City, WestBend Community Authority, and WestBend QOZB, LLC related to the ongoing operation and maintenance of water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure for said development; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Under a companion cooperative agreement among the city, the WestBend Community Authority, and the developer, the city will use the tax increment equivalent fund to reimburse development revenue bonds issued by the authority, according to city legislation.
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This Ordinance will authorize the tax increment financing and cooperative agreement (the “TIF Agreement”) between the City, the WestBend Community Authority, and the Developer to reimburse the WestBend Community Authority for the Bonds issued to pay the costs of the public infrastructure improvements described therein.
The authority will issue development revenue bonds to pay for public infrastructure improvements described in the agreement, including public roads, utilities, parks, recreation and community centers, and real estate acquisition, according to ordinance filings.
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WHEREAS, the EDA outlines the mutual plans and respective commitments of the City and the Developer to implement over the Site a new tax increment financing area pursuant to R.C. Section 5709.40(B) (the “WestBend TIF”) and a new community authority pursuant to R.C. Chapter 349 (the “WestBend Community Authority”) to finance certain public infrastructure improvements described in the EDA including, but not limited to public roads, utilities, parks, recreation and community centers, and acquisition of real estate for the foregoing (the “Public Infrastructure Improvements”); and WHEREAS, the Developer has requested the WestBend Community Authority to issue various development revenue bonds (the “Bonds”) to pay for the Public Infrastructure Improvements associated with redeveloping the Site;
A separate utility cooperative agreement governs the ongoing operation and maintenance of water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure across the site, according to council documents.
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This Ordinance will also authorize the utility cooperative agreement between the City, the WestBend Community Authority, and the Developer related to the ongoing operation and maintenance of water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure necessary for the redevelopment of the Site.
Under that agreement, the community authority will coordinate the delivery of water and sanitary sewer services to the parcels through a master meter with the city, city records state.
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the WestBend Community Authority will coordinate the delivery of water and sanitary sewer services to the parcels within the Site pursuant to a master meter with the City;