ASHLAND — Ashlanders will soon get a taste of Wisconsin through the opening of Culver’s.
The fast-casual restaurant plans to build at the corner of U.S. Route 250 and County Road 1575 (also known as Montgomery Road) on a site adjacent to the Goasis gas station.
Ashland City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved of a property tax abatement for the company behind the investment, Eagle Dirt Holdings LLC.
Construction could begin as soon as September, according to the Community Reinvestment Area agreement signed Tuesday by council. The company expects to be operational by spring 2026.
The CRA, Ashland’s latest in a month that has now seen two, means the company would get a 75% discount on the building’s property taxes for the next 10 years.
The building is expected to reach 4,335 square-feet, with an estimated price tag of $3.7 million. Culver’s forecasts it will hire up to 50 part-time employees and 15 full timers. The company expects annual payroll to reach $1.2 million.
Prime real estate
The “prime piece of real estate” — as Council President Steve Workman described it — is right off Interstate 71. He said he’s surprised it was still available for development.
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said the owners purchased more property than needed for the restaurant.
“They … are going to heavily market the rest of the site for other possible restaurant chains or retailers,” he said.
Miller hopes the development of the site will spark new interest in that area.
“One of the most commonly asked questions in our community is ‘when are you going to bring new restaurants?’ Well this may not be the restaurant for everyone, but it’ll be a good addition for some,” Miller said.
The land is part of recently annexed acreage, which used to be part of Montgomery Township. County and city officials ratified a 91-acre annexation in the “U.S. Route 250 corridor” in July 2023.
As part of that annexation, Montgomery officials secured an agreement that states the township will receive 50% “of the real estate taxes, levied and collected upon the property within the described area, for a period of 50 years.”
It’s unclear how the implementation of a CRA will impact that agreement.
Culver’s was founded in 1984 in Wisconsin. Its menu includes ButterBurgers, cheese curds and fresh, frozen custard. It features a custard “Flavor of the Day” every day.
Ashland’s will be the second site that opened in the area recently. Ontario, in Richland County, welcomed its site in April 2024. Before then, the closest Culver’s were located in Findlay, Medina and Canton.