BP Refinery Investment (Toledo, Waterville: real estate, houses, construction jobs)

[czb2004]

BP is planning on investing $400 million in its Toledo refinery to process a new source of petroleum. Marcy Kaptur says this will position Northwest Ohio as an important region for refining. Toledo has been dubbed the "Solar City" and the "Glass City." It looks like now we could also be known as a "Gas City."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7819390 (broken link)

[Tobias C]

Originally Posted by czb2004

Toledo has been dubbed the "Solar City" and the "Glass City." It looks like now we could also be known as a "Gas City."

I dont like the thought of us being known as a "gas" or "oil" city. Image-wise alone I feel like that would have a negative impact on truely positive, smart growth in Toledo. We need to keep playing up the Solar City moniker.

Maybe BP could expand its alternative energy research and development operations, right here in Toledo? Not just build more unsightly smokestacks and pipes blighting the East Side.

Just a thought.

[ryansmith]

I look forward to the day when the Sunoco refinery in East Toledo doesn't make everyone in the almost entirely residential area choke on the fumes... let alone undermine the ambiance of downtown by producing towering plumes of fire from the burnoff tower on dark winter nights. It can easily be seen from miles away, including downtown... definitely not compatible with the high-tech solar image.

The BP refinery, by comparison, is pretty benign and I have never seen towering plumes of fire at the BP refinery... day or night.

[James420]

Originally Posted by ryansmith

I look forward to the day when the Sunoco refinery in East Toledo doesn't make everyone in the almost entirely residential area choke on the fumes... let alone undermine the ambiance of downtown by producing towering plumes of fire from the burnoff tower on dark winter nights. It can easily be seen from miles away, including downtown... definitely not compatible with the high-tech solar image.

The BP refinery, by comparison, is pretty benign and I have never seen towering plumes of fire at the BP refinery... day or night.

PBF Energy just bought the Toledo Sunoco refinery for 400 million, I work at the Marcus Hook PA Sunoco refinery.

[czb2004]

At the moment providing new construction jobs for the region will be good, but I agree with Tobias C on this one. In the long term it would be much better for the city's image to have wind turbines and solar arrays instead of smokestacks.

[FleeTheRustBelt]

Those horrible unsightly smokestacks bring good, high-paying jobs into a region that has few. If people downtown don't like the view, they should move out to Waterville or something.

[Tobias C]

Originally Posted by FleeTheRustBelt

Those horrible unsightly smokestacks bring good, high-paying jobs into a region that has few. If people downtown don't like the view, they should move out to Waterville or something.

Because ugly industry has to be an inevitability and reality of inner city life? Heck, im all for there being industry smack dab in the middle of downtown. Why? Because I know that it can be done with respect to its surroundings, be a catalyst for drawing other demographics like the working class into an urban lifestyle, all while still meshing with its neighborhood in a cohesive and aesthetically acceptable manner. Im not sure what the likelihood of that happening in the forseeable future is in a city with the limited planning prowess of Toledo is, but thats all im saying.

I would much prefer that BP moves to Waterville, not me. Theres a nice plot of farm land, ripe for the pillaging.....nestled right between two of the awesome subdivision housing tracts everyone adores.

[ryansmith]

Wouldn't the high-paying jobs be there whether the refinery was a better neighbor or not? I think there is a lot of room for compromise between creating a wasteland of un-viable real estate because of pollution and closing the refinery. Simply not turning the flare tower up to 20 feet plus at night would be a start. If it is absolutely necessary to burn the flare tower thing that high... why can't it be done during the day? It appears from the street that the facility is really worn out and outdated... I guess what I am saying is that I am advocating some moderation and compromise... not job killing.

[FleeTheRustBelt]

Of course the facility is a bit outdated....it's been there since 1895, after all. As for unviable real estate, there are other factors in that area that contribute more to that than pollution. Outdated small houses, CRIME, and bad schools.

The pollution isn't really as bad as it might appear. I know a few people who've lived in that area pretty much their entire lives and none have any kind of respiratory ailments or anything like that. Ever been to Whiting, Indiana, which has a similar (albeit much larger) refinery? You CANNOT avoid the smell of oil there. Much worse than East Toledo.

[FlyBoyULD]

Originally Posted by FleeTheRustBelt

Of course the facility is a bit outdated....it's been there since 1895, after all.

Correct, this was one of the original refineries by John D Rockefeller Sr's Standard Oil. I just had to point that fact out. But the refinery will create short term construction jobs. I think I remember reading that it will create maybe 100 long term jobs at the facility if that.

Toledo will never be the "Gas City". Take a trip down to Texas and Louisiana. The one that sticks out in my mind is in Lake Charles. The refinery is on both sides of I-10 and goes for a couple of miles. Toledo also doesn't have the resources to be a large refinery town. Mainly, look at our joke of a port authority for that one.

FlyBoy