Findlay is Changing

In class yesterday we all mentioned how our hometowns are changing. When I went home that night I discovered an article which would continue to change Findlay. Marathon Petroleum has been a part of the community for decades. For years it occupied a single, multi story building in the heart of downtown. Now Marathon has expanded their foot print by tearing down one of their own stations, a historic Elk Lodge and a few other buildings. In their place they are currently building a parking garage and a 100 room hotel. In an announcement on December 7th, Marathon unveiled their plans for the Hancock Hotel. The construction will begin in the spring of 2016 and extend the Marathon complex to the corner of Main and Lincoln which brings the total footprint to a block and a half.

The hotel is due to open in Fall of 2017 and includes a restaurant, bars, and conference rooms. According to an article in The Courier, "The 100,000-square-foot hotel will be open to the public as well as out-of-town Marathon employees, vendors and board members." The original plan for the complex did include a hotel, however those plans were not set in stone upon beginning construction on the parking garage. However this announcement comes with mixed responses. Some see this projects as a great opportunity for jobs and urban renewal while others see Marathon gaining a greater hold on the town. It is no secret that Marathon is a company with a lot of money to burn and it is the biggest company in town beating out the Cooper tire plant on the other end of town.

Marathon has also sponsored the recently opened Performing Arts center a few blocks away. There influence grows by the day. My concern is that when they try to do something that is unneeded or unethical, the town will be powerless to stop it. Our elected officials are not likely to stand up to Marathon because I would not be surprised if some of their campaigns were funded, at least in part, by Marathon.

There is of course some truth that Marathon is pumping money into the community and bringing business to town. If they ever left the town would shrink to half its size and probably die out. However, I am concerned with the amount of power they have over the town. As long as they use their power for good there will be little resistance. However, if they push for unwanted improvements or openly interfear with our elected officials I wonder who would be able to stop them.

Current building                                                               Hancock Hotel

                                                                                  



Sources: http://thecourier.com/breaking-news/2015/12/07/marathon-announces-details-for-new-20-million-downtown-hotel/