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Areas of Opportunity in Columbus: Highlights from the Columbus Opportunity Summit

Client Alert

On April 27, 2023, Columbus Business First held its annual Columbus Opportunity Summit, bringing together business and economic development leaders to provide an update on how Central Ohio is preparing for expected growth in the coming years, an issue heightened by the arrival of Intel at its 1,000-acre site in Licking County, just outside of Columbus. The site will be home to two new chip factories with room to grow to a total of eight factories and is a $20 billion investment.

Logistics

Ohio already is known as the ‘heart of America.’ It is within one day’s drive of 60% of the continental U.S. Ohio is also the fourth largest rail transporter by mileage and suppliers. Areas for opportunity include supporting and scaling logistical providers and connecting local and regional supply chains.

Infrastructure

New Albany, a suburb minutes from Downtown Columbus, has earmarked $300M to grow infrastructure with a focus on connecting people to their everyday needs. This means that developing communities will include jobs, housing, groceries, and daycares in one central location. Areas for opportunity include city and regional planning with a focus on connecting to adjacent communities.

AEP is working to bring fiber to its existing broadband network and has implemented technology that helps share electricity loads to help cover areas experiencing outages. Areas for opportunity include training and hiring line workers and other skilled labor forces.

Ohio’s Site Inventory Program

Ohio has implemented its Site Inventory Program to help Ohio be competitive for site selection projects. The program provides authenticated sites that are “shovel ready,” meaning they have power and water on site and have state and federal approval without limits. There are currently 30-40 authenticated sites in Ohio.

Conclusion

Columbus has demonstrated significant growth in commerce and population, and with the arrival of Intel, central Ohio cities will need to collaborate to grow together and connect their development. Cohesive growth will be essential for competing for federal funding and building successful long-term systems. BMD has significant experience in business growth, construction law, contract negotiation, compliance with federal grant laws, and employment law issues. If you would like to discuss these topics further, please contact Kelly Jena at Kejena@bmdllc.com.


Employers: Consider Important Deadlines for New H-1B Cap-Subject Foreign Worker Petitions

First-time new H-1B petitions or change of status petitions by employers can be filed for the upcoming U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) fiscal year in April 2020 as long as the individual for whom the petition is being filed is in lawful status at the time of filing, and has not engaged in any unauthorized employment since his or her last lawful admission.

CLIENT ALERT UPDATE: AHCA License Alert

IMPORTANT UPDATE: AHCA updated its website to clarify that all Behavior Analysis (“BA”) Groups have either (1) a health care clinic license or (2) an exemption from licensure as a health care clinic under Fla. Stat. 400.9905(4)(g) by December 1, 2020. Florida Medicaid has also updated Section 9.5, Appendix E of the Florida Medicaid Enrollment Policy, which confirms the December 1, 2020 date. This date extends the previously published date from July 1, 2020 to December 1, 2020.

AHCA License Alert: What Every Behavior Analysis Provider Should Know!

By July 1, 2020 the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (“AHCA”) will require that all Behavior Analysis (“BA”) Groups have either (1) a health care clinic license or (2) an exemption from licensure as a health care clinic under Fla. Stat. 400.9905(4)(g).

CLIENT ALERT: CMS Unveils New Price Transparency Rules

On November 15th, the Trump administration put forth two long-anticipated rules that increase price transparency for both hospitals and insurers. These rules are a step toward price transparency across the health care industry and are in furtherance of the Trump administration’s goal of empowering healthcare consumers. The finalized rule and the proposed rule strive to make pricing information more available to healthcare consumers so they can make informed health care decisions. Through price transparency, consumers should expect to see a reduction in healthcare costs in the future. In order to provide hospitals enough time for compliance with the new requirements, the effective date of the finalized rule is January 1, 2021. The comment period for the proposed rule is open until January 14, 2020.

CLIENT ALERT: IRS Announces 401(k) and HSA Contribution Limits for 2020

With 2020 just around the corner, the IRS announced important information for the upcoming year for both 401(k) Contributions and Health Saving Accounts (HSAs).