WCPO 9's Alex Null covers the east side. If you have a story you'd like Alex to look into or a news tip, email him at Alex@wcpo.com.
READING, Ohio — Less than a year ago, the vacant land near Reading's football stadium was slated to become home to a $215 million production facility for Swiss flavor manufacturer Givaudan. However, months later, the project is now canceled and there's controversy over how it ended.
Back in October, Givaudan broke ground on what was supposed to be its new facility in Reading.
However, in May, the company canceled the project, saying more environmental remediation was needed at the site than it originally thought.
Reading City Councilman Robert Boehner said the city was blindsided by Givaudan's decision.
“Things went awry when they basically just walked out of town," Boehner said.
WATCH: Leaders with the city of Reading and the Port push back on Givaudan's decision to cancel project
Now, there's pushback on Givaudan's reasons for canceling the project.
The city of Reading, along with the Port, which owns the land, said the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency inspected the site after Givaudan's decision.
According to a letter posted on Reading's social media, the Ohio EPA found no changes in site conditions and no environmental reason for Givaudan to halt the project. The Ohio EPA confirmed those findings to WCPO 9 when we reached out.
The letter also states the Ohio EPA believes Givaudan's decision was business-driven, linked to a CEO transition at the company, and not related to environmental conditions.
You can read the letter posted to Reading's Facebook page below:
“It’s frustrating because this project would help not only the city but also the schools, the schools share in the tax revenue as well," Boehner said.
We reached out to Givaudan for a response to the pushback.
A spokesperson told us the pause on the project had nothing to do with a CEO transition. The company sent the following statement to WCPO 9:
Givaudan purchased the Reading, Ohio site to support the growth of its Taste & Wellbeing business and contribute to the local economy. The site had previously undergone remediation by the local authorities prior to Givaudan’s acquisition.
We have made the difficult decision to not proceed with developing the site at Reading, Ohio, because more remediation may be required than we anticipated. Our assessment of the site evolved as we began our physical build, and having explored the market for other potential sites, we believe there is a more straightforward path to achieving our expansion goals in North America.
We remain deeply committed to enhancing our operational capabilities in North America and will do everything we can to facilitate a swift sale to a new buyer.
Givaudan takes the health and safety of its employees, contractors, and the surrounding community very seriously. Givaudan has continued to be in full compliance with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) including annual reporting requirements.
Givaudan remains committed to transparent dialogue with local stakeholders and sincerely appreciates the efforts of community, regional and state partners who have supported the site's redevelopment journey.
Boehner said he's surprised the company is sticking by its original reasoning.
“I can’t believe they said that, but I think that’ll all end up in court at some point, who knows," Boehner said.
As for what's next with the property, Boehner said that answer remains unknown.
“We’re hopeful something happens fairly quickly as soon as we get it back out in the marketplace and the letter from the Ohio EPA should alleviate most people’s fears of the property," Boehner said.
Have a story idea or tip for WCPO 9 east side reporter Alex Null? Email him at Alex@wcpo.com.
