He also said the city will move to narrow Washington and Jefferson boulevards downtown.NEW HAVEN – The New Haven City Council will consider granting a tax abatement to the third company to move to the city this year.
Quincy Recycle Paper, based in Quincy, Ill., plans to open a third processing plant in the former Berne Apparel building on Summit Street.
The recycler plans to invest $633,000 in equipment that will recycle plastic, some metal and various types of paper such as newsprint, cardboard and office paper. The processed materials are then shipped to paper mills and plastic suppliers.
The company expects to create 12 jobs with a total payroll of $485,000. The company is eligible for a five-year abatement, which would save it about $22,000, said Scott Harrold, senior planner with the Allen County Department of Planning Services.
A public hearing on the proposed tax abatement will be scheduled for the next council meeting in August.
On Tuesday, council members questioned company representative Tim Bliefnick about the amount and type of truck traffic that would travel along Summit Street, which is in a residential area. Bliefnick said 25 to 40 trucks typically drop off material during a shift, but not as many trucks are expected at the New Haven site.
The Fort Wayne area offered opportunities for Quincy to expand its business, and the building on Summit Street met Quincy’s space needs and offers it the opportunity to take advantage of rail shipping in the future, Bliefnick told the council.
This spring, the council granted abatements to a fuel additive startup firm and a physicians’ office – both new to New Haven and both filling vacant space. It also granted an abatement to one of the city’s mainstay businesses, Central States Enterprises, to build another grain silo.
Vince Buchanan, chief executive officer of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, said New Haven’s transportation and logistics – such as access to rail and Interstate 469 – plus the low cost of doing business are appealing to companies.
“I think we’re faring very well given the current environment,” Buchanan said of New Haven.
Tree city
Also Tuesday, the council introduced an ordinance creating a tree commission that would make recommendations about what types of trees should be planted in city-owned rights of way and in city parks and would arrange educational opportunities.
The ordinance would make the city eligible to be deemed a Tree City USA, which would allow the city to apply for grant funding to preserve and maintain its trees.
