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What: Huber Heights City Council meeting
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Government Center, 6131 Taylorsville Road
Huber Heights officials are closing in on a 50-year agreement with Key-Ads that would result in a digital billboard along Interstate 70 on the site of the city's $18 million music center — a project estimated to cost $700,000.
The 65-foot-high digital gateway feature would be built just to the west of the music center, and the city would finance the project, city officials said.
Construction could begin as soon as May and take about two months to complete, assistant city manager Scott Falkowski said. The city anticipates that naming rights for city-owned facilities and on-site advertisements will pay for the debt service, which is projected to be $50,000 a year for 20 years.
On-site advertisements would be for the music center, GoodSports’ fieldhouse/hotel and the outlot. GoodSports also could negotiate with the city for space on the sign.
“We’re projecting it pays for itself,” Falkowski said.
The first reading of the legislation is scheduled to take place at tonight’s City Council meeting.
Council members Jan Vargo and Tyler Starline requested a minimum of two readings at last week’s administration committee meeting. The second reading and adoption, pending council approval, will be April 28.
“We have time,” Starline said. “We really want to listen to what the public tells us, and that requires time.”
Key-Ads would manage and help build the city-owned sign in exchange for the ability to build its own sign at 6490 Brandt Pike, just south of the Chambersburg Road intersection.
Key-Ads’ management and operation of the digital content, including artwork and design, has an estimated value of $45,000 a year. Construction management of the I-70 sign has a one-time estimated value of $100,000.
Recurring costs to the city will be about $15,000 a year for power, Internet service and maintenance.
Key-Ads’ sign on Brandt Pike would be about half the size of the I-70 sign and be built on a former Rally’s site, which is now vacant and owned by the city. The city would receive 875 free eight-second advertising spots per day on each face of Key-Ads’ sign, which they valued at $64,000 annually.
The I-70 digital sign — similar to ones in Dayton, Moraine and Beavercreek — would be used to announce community and on-site advertisements, but not provide a revenue stream.
The city has said that is because of state regulations that prohibit a city from having an advertising device along a highway if it was not incorporated by 1959. Huber Heights was incorporated in 1981.
Nick Keyes Jr., vice president of Key-Ads, made a presentation to the city’s administration committee last month. He said the sign will be built to blend in with the music center and the overall Heights concept. Keyes Jr. was unavailable for comment for this story.
The average daily traffic count near the I-70 and Ohio 201 interchange is 70,000 in each direction, Falkowski has said.
The GoodSports Village will be built along the south side of Executive Boulevard, west of Meijer near the I-70 and Ohio 201 interchange. The music center will be at the west end of the property, with the fieldhouse/hotel between it and Meijer.
Construction of the 4,500-seat covered music center is expected to be completed by late summer this year.
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