Bendix HQ Move to Avon Stalled by Wetlands

AVON, OH — Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems' move from Elyria to Avon will be delayed due to poor building conditions on the 60 acres of land they purchased near Chester Road.

As it turns out, a portion of the land Bendix plans to build its new headquarters on is occupied by wetlands, which will delay the construction project, reported the Chronicle-Telegram. That means Bendix will not be able to move its new campus, its hundreds of employees to Avon as soon as planned.

Bendix has yet to submitted its construction plans or details on the it will break ground to the Avon Planning Department, reported the Chronicle-Telegram.

Apparently, wetland mitigation is not an uncommon problem for projects using the Army Corps of Engineers process. Avon City Engineer Ryan Cummins told the Chronicle-Telegram that wetland mitigation issues are frequent, and that he doesn't think it will be a big problem for Bendix due to their high-quality design team.

Mayor Jensen told the Chronicle-Telgram that the wetland mitigation will likely push back the start of construction until 2017. It's unknown how much of the 60 acres purchased by Bendix is wetlands, but apparently the first phase of the construction should not be affected.

Bendix announced their move to Avon in July after being headquartered in Elyria for 73 years, reported the Chronicle-Telegram. The company is one of Elyria’s largest employers and revenue generators, bringing in nearly $850,000 in income tax revenue.