NORTH BALTIMORE, OH (WTOL) – The Wood County Economic Development Commission said it is exploring a new project with a goal of creating hundreds of jobs in five Ohio counties. The project is a hub designed to bring together several modes of transportation.
The commission said it would create permanent jobs and the necessary pieces are already available, such as CSX Intermodal in North Baltimore.
"There's just a lot more business now that the railroad's doing all this stuff. I'm kinda proud of it. It's great," said Ronald Crouse, resident of Bloomdale.
Residents of North Baltimore said they are starting to see some positive results from CSX Intermodal, but there is still more work to be done.
"We definitely need jobs around here. Factories, everything is closing down. We need something around here," said Ramiro Salaz, a Bloomdale resident.
That "something" is already in the works. The commission said CSX would be the southern anchor of a regional hub connecting different modes of transportation.
"As the politicians like to say, 'The short answer is jobs, jobs, jobs.' And I'm not running for anything," said Tom Blaha, commission member.
Operations, such as CSX, would connect with the Toledo Express Airport, the port of Toledo on Lake Erie, Interstates 75, 80, 90 and more.
Wood County said that efficiency would attract more factories and distribution centers.
"The container ice freight coming off a ship that's just crossed the ocean, being put on a train in the port of Baltimore, being lifted off a train and then being sent to a factory in Findlay, Ohio, being put together to make a washing machine that's going to be sold in a department store in Toledo. Those are the connections," explained Blaha.
According to Blaha, the project would take a long time because the county needs to find people willing to invest in production facilities that would hire people. However, he said once that happens, it is only a matter of putting the already-existing pieces together.
