Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
I was very excited and pleased this morning to announce that Amazon intends to build and operate a new delivery station with more than 110 new jobs on the Hawthorne Hills property -- the site many of us still know as Southwyck.

This is a huge win for Toledo and for that area of our city. That site has been vacant for more than a decade and has dragged down that part of South Toledo. This is a huge step toward revitalization of the entire area and the Reynolds Road corridor.

Amazon realized what we have known all along: Toledo is a business-friendly city and a great place to invest.

Our primary goal was to put that property back into productive use in a manner that strengthens the surrounding area through the creation of new jobs and new capital investment.

We set out from day one of this administration to redevelop that site and attract a logistics and distribution user. That work included proactively rezoning the property to align it with what it was being marketed for the site. By proactively rezoning it, we saved Amazon up to 120 business days of entitlements process.

We struck a deal that was great for Amazon and for the residents of Toledo. Toledo will recoup all of the $3.6 million we have invested into the site since it was purchased by the city in December 2014. With Toledo City Council approval, we will implement tax increment financing for the property, which will create a mechanism for us to recoup that investment. Also noteworthy is that we didn’t have to offer incentives such as tax abatements to lure Amazon. They wanted to be here, and that says a lot about Toledo.
Site Selection Magazine for the fifth consecutive year ranked Toledo among the top ten in the nation for economic development among mid-size cities.
This announcement is another example of why Toledo is among the best at job-creation and economic development.
Coronavirus COVID-19

While we had great news to share this morning on Amazon, I know there are still many questions and concerns over the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. My administration is working diligently with our local health department, Lucas County, and all of our partners to apply and encourage the approved best practices that will help prevent the spread of coronavirus in our city and region.

We are also working to dispel false rumors that can cause fear and distraction. Everyone should focus on the simple measures that will see us through this period safely and responsibly. The most important part of shutting down this virus is early response. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has issued a number of orders, including the closure of schools for three weeks, that will disrupt our lives in no small ways.

As the governor said, it is important that we are prepared, but not panic. There are common sense steps we can all take to make sure that our community can get through this difficult time together. We will continue to monitor the situation and err on the side of caution.

The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department has a dedicated COVID-19 hotline. The numbers to call are 419-251-4000 or 419-291-5355 .

The health department also has a COVID-19 web page, which can be found at www.LucasCountyHealth.com/CoronavirusUpdates .

Go Vote!

Let me end this week with a simple reminder: go out and vote Tuesday. (Or vote early this weekend.)

With everything going on in our community, it is more important than ever to exercise your right to vote.

In the face of adversity, I know in my heart that Toledo will come out stronger.
Public Utilities
In an effort to lower the risk for Toledo Public Utilities customers, Toledo City Council and Mayor Kapszukiewicz instituted a moratorium on water shut-offs until the threat of COVID-19 is diminished.

The moratorium is effective immediately and applies to residential Toledo and Lucas County customers.

During the moratorium, Toledo Public Utilities will not turn off water service to any residential customer. The city will also restore water service to all residential customers who have had their water disconnected for non-payment. In order to accomplish this, Toledo Public Utilities field services technicians must access properties to obtain a meter reading.

All residents are reminded not to allow anyone claiming to be a Toledo Public Utilities employees access to your home unless they have proper identification and they are properly uniformed. Field personnel wear blue pants and shirt or jacket with the embroidered City of Toledo logo patch on the left chest. All Toledo Public Utilities employees carry and will prominently display their City of Toledo identification badges. They drive deep blue City of Toledo vehicles that also display the City of Toledo logo and “Water Division” on the doors.

During the moratorium, customers who need assistance, or who have general billing questions, are encouraged to contact Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020. Customers can also email dpucustomerservice@toledo.oh.gov or visit the Customer Service Walk-In Service Center at 420 Madison Ave.
Engage Toledo
How can we help you? The Engage Toledo app lets you make service requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. We are committed to customer service.

To download on Android,   click  here .

To download on iPhone,  click  here .
By The Numbers
(year to date)
28,480 potholes filled
78 water main breaks repaired
344,566 feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
4,288  feet of storm sewers cleaned
715 illegal signs removed
246 trees trimmed
1,802 building inspections
1,257 contractor licenses
17,180 tons of salt used
10,024 EMS runs
1,038 fire runs
Toledo In The News
Ohio solar project will benefit low-income communities A joint project in Toledo by the port authority, a community foundation and local industry earmarks profits for community needs. An innovative solar project in Toledo will do triple duty when it’s completed this spring. It will provide renewable power to a nearby axle factory. It will use otherwise unproductive land. And hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of the project’s electricity will benefit nearby low-income communities.

City officials announce Amazon distribution center coming to old Southwyck site Under a sunny sky tempered by a chilly, blustery wind, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz on Friday stepped behind a lonely lectern placed atop the grassy overgrowth and broken asphalt remains of the former Southwyck Shopping Center to reveal the “most poorly kept secret in Toledo” — Amazon Inc. will build a 150,000-square-foot “Delivery Station” and create 10 full-time jobs and 110 part-time jobs.
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