COSHOCTON − For the past few years, Intel and other major projects have been touted as having a major impact on Central Ohio. Local stakeholders in Coshocton County have had two basic questions — how and when.

Betsy Goldstein, a business development and networking consultant, recently gave an overview of Intel and other major projects in Central Ohio and how they could affect elements such as transportation and housing.

Tiffany Swigert of the Coshocton Port Authority said it will be the first of many meetings to discuss the mega project impacts and how to capitalize on them for community growth.

Goldstein has given more than 260 such presentation, helping communities plan and strategize how they can best be ready for these huge company additions, like Intel in adjacent Licking County.

As of now, specific impact and timeline of impacts for Coshocton County are very much up in the air, however the efforts will ripple out of the Columbus Metropolitan area.

Commissioner Dane Shryock said the county is already seeing some indications of what might come; mainly in the way of population increases and a need for more housing. He knows of a real estate developer in the Columbus area who recently bought 22 acres to relocate to in Coshocton and of a local who recently sold a home to a man from Baltimore, Maryland, who works remotely for Microsoft.

"We've worked very hard together to move Coshocton forward," Shryock said of collaboration with the City of Coshocton, Coshocton Port Authority and other entities. "There's a lot of people who know what's going on in this country that's trying to make us aware of it and we're trying to do the same for this community."

The Intel project

The Intel project was originally announced in January 2022 as a $20 billion investment for two semiconductor facilities. That has gone up to $28 billion. It was supposed to be done in 2025, but that has moved to 2026 to 2027, with operation starting between 2027 and 2028.

The project is estimated to create a total of 20,000 jobs from direct to in-direct to construction. Connected to Intel is a $100 million investment into education to create the workforce Intel needs.

"There is no project in our entire state I can point to that is as big as this one. This is the largest private investment in our state's history," Goldstein said. "This project is different because it will touch every single corner of the state. This project is also different, because unlike others, it starts to transform Ohio for generations to come."

Related to Intel are many projects in development in Columbus to increase quality of life and more. This includes the Merchant Building estimated at $440 million adjacent to the North Market with hotel rooms, apartments, restaurants and offices; the Columbus Symphony Hall near COSI estimated at $275 million; and a new 1 million-square-foot terminal at the John Glenn International Airport estimated at $2 billion to be completed by 2028.

Housing and transportation

All of the workers for Intel and other projects won't be coming from Ohio itself. Many will be moving in from elsewhere. More residents means more traffic on the roads and the need for more houses and apartments. Ohio's population is expected to increase by 726,000 people over the next 25 years. Goldstein said the majority will be coming from the east coast and west coast.

Their idea of a reasonable commute is different from that of locals, where more than an hour to get to and from work is too much. But since they're willing to drive further, they'll live further out, Goldstein said. She said there's a development of a second outer belt around Columbus, to compliment Interstate 270, with new roads built or old ones expanded and connecting together.

This has also led to housing prices to go up around the general area, including Coshocton. Without more options, what is available will continue to get more expensive. Supply helps with demand and rising costs, Goldstein said.

"It feels like the Intel site is all the way over there, but it's not. In terms of where people will go and where people will live, Coshocton isn't that far away," Goldstein said. "Housing is one of the critical pieces to success when we talk about the region."

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Effects of Intel, other mega projects will be felt in Coshocton