Development quickens at New Albany property

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Caution tape blows in the wind around the perimeter of the commercial development construction site on the 2200 block of State Street in New Albany on Friday afternoon.Several businesses, including Bob Evans, Tire Discounters, and First Community Bank will be located on the site where the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church was formerly located. Staff photo by Christopher Fryer

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September 16, 2012

Development quickens at New Albany property

Bob Evans, First Savings Bank among those moving to former church site

By DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Sun Sep 16, 2012, 08:17 AM EDT

NEW ALBANY — Tire Discounters and an AT&T store should be built and in operation soon, and a Bob Evans restaurant will open early next year on the former Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church site, one of the men behind the new developments confirmed this week.

In December, First Savings Bank partnered with ARC Construction Management LLC to purchase and develop the former church property located at 2212 State St. The bank was looking to open a branch in New Albany, and the property had been placed back on the market as the church was looking to locate elsewhere.

With new buildings being added, Larry Myers, president and CEO of First Savings Bank, said work is progressing favorably at the site. He said Bob Evans recently agreed to locate to New Albany, and likely will occupy a new building on the property in March.

A firm called Vision Works will be sharing the building with Bob Evans, Myers continued.

First Savings Bank should also have a new branch location on the site next year, and talks are ongoing to bring another tenant into that building, Myers said. He added talks are ongoing with a “retail food service” client to locate on the site, but said he couldn’t announce the name of the company until the deal is completed.

If that deal goes through, Myers said the development will be tapped out for space.

He said that corridor of State Street — which is near the Interstate 265 interchange —is a popular spot for businesses.

“It’s a good thoroughfare, you’re right up from the hospital, and for New Albany, that’s the primary retail area,” Myers said.

He conceded he doesn’t have the exact figures, but that the construction phase of the development was expected to bring 150 jobs to New Albany.

“As you convert that over into permanent retail, we would expect that to be in the neighborhood of 100 to 120 jobs” depending on the requirements of the businesses, Myers added.

The surrounding neighborhood has long been marked with drainage woes, and the city agreed to foot the installation of a drainage basin. The improvements are expected to help ease flooding for portions of Green Valley Road near the State Street intersection.