ASHLAND — It’s been more than a month since any progress has been made with the sale of the former, vacant Pump House building on Orange Street in Ashland.
But on Tuesday, Ashland City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that gives the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) of Ashland permission to purchase the 44,000 square-foot building from the city.
The CIC, a nonprofit economic development corporation, will then sell the building to Columbus development firm Vision Development.
“That way all our official legislative actions are complete and then it’s all a matter of simply setting up the closing, dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s,” said Ashland Mayor Matt Miller.
The city purchased the building from the county for $300,000 in October. However, that transaction hasn’t technically closed, Miller said, because the property lines have yet to be surveyed.
Vision Development secured an exclusive deal on the building in September, agreeing to pay $300,000 to tear it down and build apartments and possible other uses such as retail and restaurant spaces.
The purchase price happens to be almost exactly the amount Ashland County commissioners have invested into the building since purchasing it in September 2020.
The roundabout process for Vision’s acquisition of the property avoids the need for the county and city to seek outside competitive bids, according to Andrew Bush, an assistant law director for the city of Ashland.
Vision Development has made moves to be the Pump House District’s primary developer for some time, and has worked elsewhere in Ashland in recent years.
The firm was behind the buying of 19 parcels totaling five acres in the so-called Pump House District in July. It plans to build up to 150 apartment units and other commercial spaces such as restaurants and shops in that designated area.
It also was the firm behind George Road’s “The District at Ashland” apartments, a complex built adjacent to Charles River Laboratories.
“It’ll be nice to not have this on our balance sheets,” said Councilman Dennis Miller on Tuesday.
The mayor agreed, adding he’s excited because Vision’s plan, which has not been made public yet, includes sketches for market-rate apartments, retail space and restaurants.
Brent Wrightsel, the man behind Vision Development, did not responded to multiple requests for comment.
