Page 3 - CEP newsletter 3 2020 FINAL 082620

CEP Facilitates

Sale of Building
A building that’s been vacant since
the early 2000s in downtown
Mechanicsburg, at 2-4 Main St., is
being returned to productive resi-
dential and business use, thanks
to a partnership of the CEP and
Village of Mechanicsburg.

The village obtained the building –
an abandoned, tax delinquent
property – through the legal pro-
cess of expedited foreclosure. Job Postings Still Going
Through state law, the CEP – as a Strong on Champaign Works
Y Inventors Camp community improvement corpora-
tion – acted as an agent for the
Children work on a project at the village to help find a buyer to Champaign Works, a job posting and commu-
annual Inventors Camp at the return the building to constructive nity news website launched last fall with the
Champaign Family YMCA. Employees use for the community. CEP’s support, continues to see an increase in
job postings, even during the pandemic, the

of Weidmann Electrical Technology, The Mechanicsburg Village Coun- site’s webmaster, Staci Wisma, reports.
Rittal, Inc., KTH Parts Industries and cil approved the sale to Ben
ORBIS led the campers in hands-on Layne, the village’s mayor, who The Champaign Works job board has been the
bought the building as a private
projects and shared their experiences citizen. He is the only person to second most visited page since the start of the
pandemic.
in manufacturing. bid on the building, which CEP
Business Liaison Director Marcia Bailey showed to “We've had over 600 visits to the job board
15 individuals the past two years. with more than half of those since the start of

Outlines Plans Layne will renovate the upstairs July,” Wisma said. That compares to more
than 1,000 total site visits in the past 30 days.
CEP Business Liaison Ashley for his family’s residence and the
Cook and her husband, Ray, have downstairs for commercial use. “We have received a lot of positive feedback
had an eventful summer, with the The downstairs will include two from employers that they are receiving appli-
July 24 birth of their son, Baylor. retail units and space at the rear of cations and do believe it's beneficial to post on
the building for a laundromat. “I Champaign Works,” Wisma said.
At the end of her maternity leave, have spoken to someone who
on October 1, Cook will return to may be interested in leasing one The site, developed by Berry Digital Solutions,
work for the CEP and as Ohio Hi- of the retail units already,” he said. also is seeing an increase in news submis-
Point Career Center supply chain sions from local organizations. Schools, civic
instructor at Urbana High School. Village Administrator April Huggins groups, businesses and others are encour-
Davis is grateful for the CEP’s aged to submit news at champaignworks.com/
As CEP Business Liaison she help. “The Village will be happy to share.html. And businesses are encouraged to
builds partnerships between local see this property back on the tax promote special events, sales, products and
high schools and manufacturers books, occupied, and hopefully menus.
and health care businesses to another business downtown.”
connect students to nearby career
opportunities. Schools Following Common Reopening Plan

Cook plans to work around COVID- Champaign County schools adopted a ents the option to elect online learning
common plan for reopening for the 2020-
19 restrictions by setting up virtual 21 school year. for their children.
and one-on-one meetings between
students and business leaders. If the county rises to Level 3 (red),
She also wants to schedule busi- To stay on top of changes in pandemic schools would shift to a hybrid approach
ness tours for small groups of conditions, the superintendents are of reduced capacity face-to-face learn-
meeting weekly, says Dr. Dan Kaffen-
students, as businesses will allow, barger, superintendent of the Madison- ing and remote learning. Level 4 (purple)
and will continue developing would require remote learning for all.
student internships. Champaign Educational Service Center
and education representative on the CEP Under current state guidelines, teachers,
She is moving ahead with plans for Board of Trustees. staff and students will be required to

the annual Design Challenge for “The superintendents are trying to hit an wear face coverings at school.
county middle and high school
students, who will be mentored by ever-shifting target,” he said. So long as While all local districts will follow the
local engineers. In September, Champaign County is at Level 1 (yellow) general principles of the common reo-
or Level 2 (orange) of Ohio’s Public
Cook will host a planning meeting Health Advisory Alert System, all county pening agreement, each is customizing
with the schools. Details about the it to fit the specifics of their facilities and
challenge will be released to the schools will be open for face-to-face population. Details are available on each
schools on October 1. classroom instruction, while giving par- district’s website.