Butler Tech has secured $8 million in federal ARPA funds from the Butler County Commission. The city of Hamilton is contributing just under $2.5 million ― $2 million from its share of Butler County ARPA funds, and the rest by way of forgiving $480,000 of a $1.6 million loan previously given to Vora Technology Park to assist them in landing Barclaycard in 2015.
“Miami University’s acquisition of the Vora Technology Park property is a transformative milestone poised to become the most catalytic investment in recent times for Hamilton,” said City Manager Joshua Smith. “This strategic move aligns with Miami’s commitment to fostering economic growth in the region. Leveraging Miami University’s esteemed status as an entrepreneurial public Ivy institution alongside Butler Tech’s progressive, first-in-class approach to innovation, this initiative promises to bridge the gap between education and employment.”
>> Historic partnership: Butler Tech, Miami, Hamilton create new manufacturing campus
The property had seen a few owners since 2000, and prior to that was Champion International, which had a paper mill on North B Street. It was eventually sold and transformed into Vora Technology Park in 2005.
Smith said the collaboration will not just address the region’s workforce needs, but “also establishes a vital innovation hub for southwest Ohio.”
“Through strategic initiatives and shared expertise, this partnership propels us toward a future of economic growth, technological advancement and enhanced opportunities for our community,” he said.
This novel educational model, allowing students to be trained on the latest technology and equipment while still in high school, opens more opportunities for students, and Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Bates said makes Hamilton “a training technology collaborative hub where people will come to just to receive this training. This is not just another program at Butler Tech.”
And the impact, Bates said, can also do for educational training in Hamilton what Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill has contributed toward in terms of economic development and revitalization for the city.
“Spooky Nook has driven economic development because of the number of people it’s going to attract to Hamilton. I think this has a similar catalyst impact on how we educate students and prepare them for high-tech careers,” he said. “This is out-of-the-box, this is a way to make sure it’s top-notch, it’s current, and they have big partnerships.”
Several organizations are in support of the educational hub, including Nth Cycle in Fairfield and thyssenKrupp Bilstein in Hamilton, and the Ohio Manufacturing Association.
The hub is expected to launch in the fall of 2025, and Butler Tech and Miami University will initially occupy 70,000 square feet each, but will grow into the 300,000-square-foot facility.
The nearly 55-acre purchase will give Miami more than 144 acres of property in this area of the city, south of Knightsbridge Drive between Neilan and University boulevards, just north of Belle Avenue.
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