Huntington Unveils Jobs and Lending Plan for Its Hometown

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, said it plans to add 1,000 jobs by 2024 at a new office complex in Columbus and lend $300 million to low- and moderate-income communities in the city over the next five years.

Huntington said that it is investing $18.3 million in the complex, to be called the Huntington Gateway Center, and that it is seeking tax incentives to build it. The complex is slated to open next year.

The 210,000-square-foot center will initially employ 1,400 people but will have space for 1,600 employees. When it opens, the company will vacate two offices it currently occupies in Columbus.

Huntington, which has assets of $101 billion, announced the proposal at the center's development site with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther's office. Ginther's office said it will use a $500,000 donation to fund investment deployment in "the Mayor's priority neighborhoods."

Stephen D. Steinour, Huntington's CEO, said in a press release Tuesday that the company is "stepping up to help transform an important area because we believe in helping small businesses grow and families prosper. The city has been an outstanding partner and we're proud to support the Mayor's vision to revitalize key growth neighborhoods."

Huntington has announced similar plans tied to its $3.4 billion acquisition of FirstMerit Bank in Akron, Ohio, in August.

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