PORT CLINTON — In 2023, 13 million visitors came to the Ohio Shores and Islands area, powering a tourism industry that generated more than $3 billion.
The skeleton of a new Hampton Inn along the Lake Erie shoreline reflects an effort by the region spanning Erie and Ottawa County to keep pace with its fast-growing economy. The hotel, at State Rt. 163 and State Rt. 53, and several other construction projects are driven both by economic opportunity and concentrated government efforts to facilitate development.
Last summer, six local groups, including chambers of commerce and corporations, consolidated into the Greater Sandusky Partnership to scale up their efforts.
“We 100 percent want to maintain the character of this area, and I think that’s why when you see us talk about our work, the focus is on making this as much about what makes people want to live here as it is what makes people want to visit here,” said Eric Wobser, the organization’s CEO.
“So that’s an important part of how we maintain our authenticity. So we want sustainable and balanced growth. We’re always making sure as we continue to grow, we maintain a sense of who we are and who we want to be.”
These efforts include the creation of a 100-mile regional bike trail, a downtown convention center, and other projects strengthening ties between attractions like Cedar Point and the rest of the community. To accommodate the influx of tourists, however, requires expanding beyond local businesses.
The $12 million Hampton Inn project, which will create 93 rooms for guests, is the first to take advantage of the Erie County Port Authority’s capital lease program. With materials typically accounting for half of the costs associated with construction, this program allows developers to save money on the sales tax for any materials purchased within the state.
“I think that the capital lease program is one of our organization’s top priorities, which is making a direct impact on economic development by virtue of having tools we can use to make it easier to get projects done,” Mr. Wobser said. “Due to a variety of factors, whether it’s an interest rate environment which creates difficult access to capital or the rising cost of construction, for us to continue the momentum we have in development, we have to find ways at the margin to make projects more affordable.”
He highlighted the hotel accommodations as a way of creating new places to stay that are not private residences. Chris Singerling, executive director of the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation, noted that adding more places to stay is also one step in addressing the housing shortage affecting the region.
He also explained that the amount of economic competition across the state, country, and world makes it harder for smaller regions to get these national brands in the door.
“In this day and age, when you’re dealing in a global economy with businesses from all over the world and across the country, who for a variety of reasons are looking to expand and relocate, if you do not provide these types of incentives, they will look other places,” Mr. Singerling said. “That is the reality. That is the world we live in.”
As the counties work on a housing study before pursuing more explicit projects tackling the issue, both Mr. Singerling and county commissioner Don Douglas acknowledged that the area’s tourism economy poses a unique challenge.
A significant portion of homes in Port Clinton are vacation residences that lie unoccupied for much of the year. Mr. Singerling noted that 32 percent of the housing taxes are mailed out of the county. For year-round businesses, this creates a strain on work force housing.
“We’re fortunate to have a diverse economy in Ottawa County, which includes the tourism industry and our seasonal residents,” he said. “It actually helps us by having that diversity. But because of that diversity, it also requires us to be thinking long term and being creative about how we address those housing and infrastructure needs for our year-round residents and our seasonal growth.”
Although much of the development relates to simply meeting the demands of the tourism industry, which has increased by 17 percent since 2021, the Greater Sandusky Partnership also hopes that it will push this growth even further.
Ohio Shores and Islands public relations manager Jill Bauer explained why those working in the area feel confident the hotel will achieve this goal.
“The location, taking advantage of those waterfront views, is superb,” she said. “Hotels with Lake Erie views are always in high demand and adding 93 rooms to our lodging inventory, along with meeting space, from a trusted brand is a real shot in the arm to the local economy. We look forward to its opening in 2025.”
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