Howland site suggested for USDA HQ

Port authority submits Old Avalon Golf Course as option

WARREN -- The site the Western Reserve Port Authority submitted for consideration to host new headquarters for the U.S. Department of Agriculture is where a golf course owned by the city of Warren sits.

But, said Anthony Trevena, director of economic development for the port, the submission of the site "Project Avalon Acres" should not be taken as a sign that the city is committed to or planning to get rid of the land or that the site is likely to be selected when so many communities around the country are hoping to gain federal consideration.

And the government is asking for expressions of interest, not a request for proposals, which means the decision to move the headquarters outside of the Washington, D.C., area isn't set in stone, Trevena said.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Aug. 9 the department was to undergo a reorganization. The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the USDA's Economic Research Service headquarters may leave the capital region by the end of 2019, according to a news release from Perdue's office.

Several sites around the region are being submitted, and the one the port submitted is for the Old Avalon Golf Course, 9794 E. Market St., owned by the city, across the street from the Avalon Inn and Resort, which hosts a golf course.

The port markets eight properties for the city, but any decision to sell or lease the land would be made by city and Howland Township officials, Trevena said.

"We are not proposing to sell it outright. That decision isn't up to us. It would come down to if the city and Howland Township want to entertain the idea. But it is a nice site by Warren and in Howland," Trevena said.

"If a development like this were available as a possibility, I think the city would be extremely receptive," said Enzo Cantalamessa, Warren's safety service director. "In addition to the jobs the facility could bring, it could be a significant revenue generator for the city. It wouldn't necessarily require a sale of the location. If it materializes, we could lease the land."

Warren City Council would have to approve a sale, Cantalamessa said.

The land costs the city about $34,000 per year in taxes, about the amount the city leases the land for now, Cantalamessa said.

The site is close to major highways, next to the Avalon Inn and Resort, and the community could offer a nice quality of life for the people living and working around the potential new facility, Trevena said.

Avalon Inn and Resort is owned by Ron Klingle, a member of the Western Reserve Port Authority's board of directors.

Trevena said the expression of interest should not be tied to the recent announcement by the Old Avalon Golf Course's operator, Larry Petrozzi, that he will not continue to operate the course after the end of the year. He has operated the course since October 2013. Petrozzi said he is talking to two different people about taking over the management of the course.

If the headquarters were to move to the region, the NIFA facility would need to be approximately 90,000 square feet to house approximately 360 employees. The ERS facility would be up to 70,000 square feet and house up to 260 employees, according to Perdue's office.

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, and U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan, D-Howland, have written letters to the USDA urging officials to consider northeast Ohio. Ryan specifically mentions "Project Avalon Acres" in his letter.

"We have an ample labor supply and workforce -- our relative workforce productivity is high, and our relative labor cost is low. As workforce development is the cornerstone to every successful business venture, our regional and state network is prepared to work with the federal government to address any necessary recruitment and training needs," Ryan's letter states.

Joyce's letter does not mention a specific site, but mentions the numerous universities in northeast Ohio, and the location's quick access to airports and interstates.

Plus, moving the headquarters out of the capital to more rural areas makes sense because it is closer to the rural and agricultural communities that are served by the offices, Joyce states.

"Headquartering these programs in northeast Ohio offers the USDA a central location in the heart of the American midwest. As you know, the state of Ohio plays a critical role in America's agricultural industry and in fact, agriculture is Ohio's number one industry," Joyce's letter states.

There are more than 70,000 farms on 14 million acres of land in Ohio, the letter states.

The Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber also prepared expressions of interest, as did other groups in northeast Ohio, according to Ryan and Joyce.

The federal government is expected to make an announcement about the next step in the process around the end of the year, Joyce said.