Ohio gubernatorial candidate Tim Grady is proposing the construction of a new city in northwest Ohio, saying he would seek to bring a development modeled on “Telosa” to the state if elected.
In a statement dated April 10, Grady, who is mounting an independent bid with running mate Andrea Neutzling, said the project would aim to expand housing availability and attract new investment. The proposed city would be located somewhere between Toledo, Columbus, and Dayton, though no other details were provided.
Grady said the development would be integrated into statewide infrastructure planning, including broadband, energy systems, higher education, and potential future high-speed rail connections. He also suggested that declining demand for corn-based ethanol resulting from more consumers using electric vehicles could leave farmland available for redevelopment.
“I want to build a new city in Northwest Ohio,” Grady said in an email to Independent Political Report. “In fact, I want Telosa to be built in Northwest Ohio. And as governor I’ll work to make that happen.”
The Telosa referenced by Grady is a master-planned city concept introduced in 2021 by entrepreneur Marc Lore, the former CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce. According to its website, the plan envisions building a new urban center in the United States over several decades, beginning with a smaller population and eventually expanding to as many as 5 million residents.
The project is built around a land ownership model Lore calls “equitism,” in which land is held by a community endowment and increases in land value are used to fund public services. Designs released alongside the concept depict a high-density, walkable city with integrated transit, mixed-use development, renewable energy systems, and extensive green space.
Despite early attention and design work involving the Bjarke Ingels Group, the project has not moved beyond the planning stage and does not have a confirmed location or construction timeline. Earlier reporting has suggested possible building sites in the western United States or parts of Appalachia.
Grady said Ohio could serve as a viable location and suggested the project could be financed by private investors, with the state providing a supportive regulatory framework.
“Ohio offers a perfect location for these billionaire city building projects,” Grady said in the statement. “Cheap land, sure but also plenty of flat land, water, and connections to major highways and a large regional population and industrial network.”
Grady also said he would pursue financing from wealthy backers, specifically naming Lore as a potential partner, and invited him to reach out. He added that supporting the development of a new city in northwest Ohio would be a sound policy regardless of whether investors ultimately fund the project.
“If billionaires want to fund it for us, that’s a win-win,” Grady said.
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