Newark Development Partners has acquired multiple properties the city owns on its south end and is already fielding interest in them for possible development.
According to a resolution, Newark entered into an agreement with the organization to transfer the properties. The addresses are 107 and 109 S. 6th St. in south Newark, across the street from the longtime area manufacturer Tectum.
The transfer is somewhat procedural. Newark Development Partners at times handles real-estate transactions on behalf of the city. Newark Development Partners Executive Director P.J. Sullivan said Tectum has expressed interest in possibly developing the site.
A spokesperson for Tectum corporate parent Armstrong World Industries said the company has contacted Newark City Council representatives and Newark Development Partners about the site. The planning is in the early stages and purchasing the lots to use them for overflow parking is one potential option the company has floated, but it has not yet finalized plans, the spokesperson said.
Newark City Council unanimously voted Dec. 1 to approve the resolution, which states that the transfer helps assist development and reclamation of the site.
The Licking County Land Bank transferred the properties to the city in 2019, Licking County auditor records show. Both are vacant and less than half an acre.
Tectum, 105 S 6th St., celebrated its 75th year in Newark in 2024. The company manufactures ceiling and wall panels at its 90,000-square-feet building and employs around 100 people.
Armstrong World Industries, based in Pennsylvania, purchased Tectum in 2017.
Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark transfers property for development as Tectum expresses interest
Reporting by Josué Perez, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
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