ASHLAND — The corner of U.S. 250 and Ashland County Road 1575 will soon no longer sit empty.
Culver’s officially broke the frozen ground on the soon-to-establish Ashland location on Thursday morning next to the Goasis gas station.
Ryan Lehar, franchise owner/operator of the Ashland and Canton locations, said he was surprised and happy to see a tent full of Culver’s supporters.
“I hope you guys understand that I’m going to be here for many years to come, and I’m super excited for all this,” he said.
The location is slated to open in early June.
Lehar said he chose Ashland as his second location because: “The city reminded me of what I grew up in when I lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota: a little bit smaller town, but you can tell it’s very well connected.”
The building is expected to encompass 4,335 square-feet, with an estimated price tag of $3.7 million, according to previous Ashland Source reporting.
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 and the average Culver’s location brings in $3.8 million in annual revenue, Lehar said.
Lehar further showed his investment in Ashland by presenting the city with a $5,000 check, which will be put toward the Independence Day celebration.
Mayor Matt Miller told the crowd this parade will be the biggest and most patriotic yet because it is America’s 250th anniversary.
(Below are photos from the groundbreaking on Thursday morning. The story continues below the images.)
What the land development means for Ashland
The nearly 10-acre parcel was officially sold on Oct. 10 for roughly $2.3 million after Ashland City Council approved a property tax abatement for the company behind the investment, Eagle Dirt Holdings LLC, in June.
“Most importantly, what I want to thank you for is investing in this corner. We who live here have seen this corner be dormant for more than a decade. And yet every day when we’d drive by, we would wonder why doesn’t someone do something with that corner,” Miller said.
The Community Reinvestment Area agreement means the company will get a 75% discount on the building’s property taxes for the next 10 years, according to previous Ashland Source reporting.
“You are also starting a whole domino effect of economic development here in the corridor.”
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller
“You are also starting a whole domino effect of economic development here in the corridor,” Miller told the Culver’s team.
The city’s Planning Commission voted to subdivide the land earlier this month into four distinct parcels, which will house three new businesses.
Miller previously announced at those three businesses will be a new hotel, “a very popular coffee shop,” and a restaurant that specializes in chicken.
The official names of those businesses has not been released publicly yet.
