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Mason Matters December 2011 / January 2012
Inside This Issue: 2 Drop Box Adds Convenience 3 Tax Forms Will Not be Mailed 1040 3 Police Department Seeks Reaccreditation 4 Economic Development News 5 Construction Updates 6 Around Mason 6 Will Your Street be Plowed?
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Mason Community Center Partners with AssureRx
dynamic entrepreneurial company that was being courted by locations across the nation has selected Mason Community Center as the location for its new corporate headquarters. ratedof Mason and AssureRx io: City hthe In October, O , n o s pleased to announce the relocation Mawere Health th CEAssureRx is a rapidly of AssureRx2to4theLcenter. A growingBbiotechnology has outgrown EST PLIVEfirm that 1 the company 1 0 2 its current space When e TO inaMason. gazin space, it looked at y ma larger began looking nefor o M y severalbattractive locations. With the support of the State of Ohio, CincyTech, several venture capitalists, and the City of Mason, the company will move into the empty tenant space at Mason Community Center at the beginning of 2012. “The partnership with AssureRx is a win for Mason, a win for the region, and a win for the state of Ohio…to achieve this, given this economy, we are required to look at out-ofthe-box approaches to encourage economic development,” noted Mason Vice Mayor David Nichols when the announcement was made. AssureRx specializes in helping physicians determine the right drug for individual patients suffering from neuropsychiatric and other disorders. The company has developed GeneSightRx, a test that helps doctors understand the way a patient’s unique genetic makeup may affect certain psychiatric drugs. “Our goal is to transform the practice of psychiatry—more specifically, to help change mental illness to mental wellness,” said Jim Burns, CEO of AssureRx.
Financial Benefit
snow removal, lobby utilities, etc. In addition to the lease revenue that will help the center’s revenue goals, AssureRx will purchase premier memberships for all of their employees, helping to grow the membership base of the center. Finally, the city will own the finished space for future use/revenue generation. Assure Rx’s move fulfills the vision of the original community center expansion with partners that further community wellness and the financial viability of the center. “We did not anticipate reaching this point so rapidly,” said Eric Hansen, Mason City Manager. “To find a partner that furthers our own business model and expands the community’s tax base while recognizing and expanding the corporate benefits of wellness in the community was a real eye-opener to the economic development potential of the center,” he added.
Community Benefit
The City of Mason’s strategy of partnering with local businesses to benefit the Mason community was accelerated in 2010 with the opening of the expansion of Mason Community Center. The new area of the center included medical office space leased to Group Health Associates (GHA) and Bethesda Physical Therapy (BPT).
Alterations Underway
AssureRx will occupy the tenant space to the left as you enter the community center’s main lobby. Completion of the tenant space began in October and should be done by the end of the year. As part of the construction, some alterations are being made to the adjacent senior center. A third restroom will be added next to the existing restrooms just outside the senior center. A sink will be installed on the counter in the main room of the senior center to accommodate a coffee station and the kitchen will get additional counter space. To accomplish this work, the Senior Center kitchen was closed in October and should reopen around the end of November. We apologize for any disturbances the construction may cause and look forward to welcoming AssureRx as the city’s newest partner in early 2012.
Mason Matters
While the attention has deservedly been on the jobs and economic win that AssureRx represents for the entire state (the company expects to grow to more than 100 employees by 2014), their move also helps the Community Center’s business plan. Similar to Tri-Health, AssureRx will be responsible for all direct costs of the space they occupy, such as utilities, interior walls and finishes, etc. They will also help share some of the common expenses of the Community Center, including parking,
AssureRx Chief Executive Officer Jim Burns, AssureRx Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Don Wright, Mayor Don Prince, Vice Mayor David Nichols, and Council Member Christine Shimrock announced the city’s newest partnership at Mason Community Center
The partnership has created an opportunity for the city to partner with TriHealth (which includes GHA and BPT) to offer wellness opportunities and education to the community in addition to the obvious benefit of revenue for the leased space. Under the “Live Well in Mason” umbrella, the partnership has sponsored educational seminars, fitness events, wellness screenings, nutrition information, and more as part of its goal to help Mason become a healthier community. By locating their corporate headquarters in the tenant space at the center, AssureRx will also bring expanded opportunities to participate in community wellness. “We are supported by a forward-looking community—Mason, Ohio—that sees the possibilities of continuing to build on a community-wide fitness and wellness theme,” said Mr. Burns. “As part of our commitment to Mason, we will periodically sponsor communitywide seminars and other events around our specialty of mental health,” he added.
www.imaginemason.org
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