Liberty Township Update - March 2021
Liberty Township was proud to close out 2020 with positive momentum amidst the global pandemic. While the year was a challenging one, the Township was encouraged by the resiliency of our residents, our businesses, our schools and our frontline healthcare workers.
The Township was pleased to award $442,364 in CARES Act COVID relief grants to 46 small businesses at the end of 2020. Most all businesses that applied were awarded some funding. The average grant amount awarded to Liberty small businesses was $10,000. Initially, the Township was sub-granted $179,701 by Butler County to distribute to the small business community. When it became clear demand was going to exceed funding, the Liberty Township Trustees made the decision to supplement the grant program with their own CARES Act dollars in order to maximize its impact.
The end of the year also included the Board of Trustees adopting the 2020 Comprehensive Plan which will help guide the community into the next decade. The plan is based on forward-thinking strategies that build upon community strengths and will be used as a policy guide for community development and growth management related to land use, transportation, public utilities and public services. The Township is grateful for all the public feedback received as part of the process to ensure the community’s interests were reflected.
The proposed Millikin Way Interchange is a top priority and the Township continues to work through the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) steps required to bring the infrastructure improvement to fruition. The completion of a feasibility study in late 2020 moved the project into the Environmental Engineering Phase. Working closely with the Butler County Transportation Improvement District (TID), the Township is well-positioned to hit another important milestone later this year once two additional studies are complete – the Interchange Justification Study (IJS) and the Alternative Evaluation Report (AER). These studies will require ODOT and Federal Highway Administration approval before the project proceeds to construction.
And speaking of construction, equipment is on site and dirt is being moved for Everest Rehabilitation Hospital, a $23 million project, under construction along Bethany Road at I-75. The 36-bed hospital is for patients recovering from injuries and illness or living with disabilities and chronic medical conditions and will have inpatient and outpatient services. The new hospital hopes to open late 2021.
Just last month, Liberty Center announced that Elevate Office Suites, a new office and co-working concept, is set to open its first Cincinnati location on the second level of the Foundry later this year. Elevate will offer professional workspaces with all-inclusive amenities and flexible leasing options. The 26,000-square-foot-space will include flexible co-working spaces, private office suites and high-tech conference rooms. A total of 95 office suites will open in Liberty Center’s Foundry Fall 2021.
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