The City of Union has added two people to its Economic Development Committee as the city juggles several prominent development projects.
On Monday, the Union City Commission observed the second reading of an ordinance to expand its Economic Development Committee to five members. The committee advises the city on economic development issues and projects. A first reading was conducted at a caucus meeting on April 21.
City Attorney Greg Voss said that the terms will be staggered.
Union Mayor Larry Solomon noted there were community members actively interested in joining the committee. The opening was first advertised to the public in a post on the city’s website on April 3.
“The importance of this thing is that we have some people that want to participate, and so what we’re doing is creating slots for them to do,” Mayor Larry Soloman said.
The newest members of the committee are real estate agents William Santiago and Michael Smith. Both their terms start on May 5 and expire on Dec. 31, 2027.
Committee members are required to live within Union city limits. In addition, being a committee member is an unpaid, volunteer position.
Neither Sanitago nor Smith was in attendance to witness the vote. Solomon recommended that the city contact them so they could be properly sworn in at a future meeting.
Some of the role’s responsibilities include working on updates for the Union Town Plan, working alongside the city on prospective economic development projects, and providing input on projects that have been reviewed by the Boone County Planning Commission and are awaiting final approval from the city.
Expansion of the Economic Development Committee comes at a time when the Union is experiencing steady population growth. Currently, the city’s population sits at approximately 7,600, according to U.S. Census data. Since 2000, Union has grown by nearly 5,000 residents. In a 2022 article published by LINK nky media partner WCPO, Solomon said he expected Union to eventually grow to over 10,000 residents.
As such, Union is undertaking several large-scale development projects to accommodate more growth. One such example is the Union Promenade, a 61.8-acre development located along US 42 that will feature retail and restaurant spaces, offices, single-family homes and multifamily housing. The development is under construction, with certain features that are already finished.
Another prominent development in the city is Union Town Square, a large-scale park project that calls for a new city building, some residences, a splash pad and walking trails. In 2022, Union purchased 22 acres of land located between US Route 42 and Old Union Road, eventually highlighting it as the future site of the project.
