Cohen Vice President Geoff Rosenberg told council that it would need to obtain a use agreement for a portion of right of way from the city where the Mindlin business currently operates on.
MORE: Cohen buys Middletown building for new corporate office
Rosenberg said Cohen plans to clean up the existing property and create a green recycling center that benefits both the environment and community as an attractive, safe and convenient location to recycle.
The company said it plans to upgrade the facility with new fencing, repair and repaint the facility, new landscaping, signage and street sweeping, similar to its other facilities in Hamilton and Cincinnati. Cohen officials showed artist renditions of what the improvements would look like.
RELATED: Cohen invests $7 million to expand recycling facility in Middletown
City officials have been concerned for many years about the appearance of the recycling facility as it’s located on a main thoroughfare into the city and the impression it creates. Mindlin Recycling currently collects newspaper, cardboard, sheet iron, heavy iron, aluminum cans, copper, brass and electronic scrap.
“It’s on a main thoroughfare,” said Mayor Denny Centers. “That’s my only concern. I need something hard and fast on how it would look like.”
Councilman Michael Aldridge said he wants the facility to look nice as that is what passing traffic sees.
“I want a strong commitment that this will look like the pictures (presented),” he said.
RELATED: Electronic recycling becomes booming business
Adam Dumes, another Cohen vice president, said the company wants to encourage people to recycle instead of disposing these materials and that it would showcase sustainability and be welcoming.
Ken Cohen, president of Cohen Recycling, told council that the company built its business was through efficiency.
“This is going to be a streamlined operation,” he said. “We’re going to make it look good.”
Cohen said they may consider acquiring other adjacent property as the company has done in Hamilton and Middletown and would work to have a nicer gateway for Franklin.
“These things take time and it’s done in phases,” he said.
RELATED: New law designed to thwart scrap metal thefts
After the presentation, Cohen told the Journal-News that the four generation family-owned company wants to purchase the Mindlin operation as both families have been doing business with each other for decades and that it would protect Mindlin’s legacy.
Pacey Mindlin said, “I have no family to pass the it on to.”
“I think its a win for Franklin,” Mindlin said. “(Cohen Recycling has) done a great job for Middletown and have a great future.”
About the Author
