Toledo firm expands role in major construction projects

A Toledo-based consultant has grown into the state’s foremost right-of-way acquisition firm, working behind the scenes on large construction projects in northwest Ohio and beyond.

Westerie, based on Lafayette Street in downtown Toledo, recently merged with the real estate appraisal division of Martin + Wood, positioning it as a full-service contractor that coordinates between project managers and property owners. The company meets with property owners to inform them about construction projects, appraise the parts of their land needed for easements, and make offers to acquire the property.

“Most people don’t know we exist unless you’re a property owner that’s impacted by a project,” said Greg Vriezelaar, president of Westerie. “We don’t design it, we don’t want to praise it, and we didn’t decide to build it. We just want to make sure that [property owners’] questions and concerns get addressed.”

The company’s biggest client is the Ohio Department of Transportation, which frequently acquires property to expand highways, build sidewalks and paths, and construct other infrastructure. Westerie has expanded to have offices across the state to serve ODOT and other clients but has maintained its headquarters in Toledo.

By merging with Martin + Wood’s appraisal division, Westerie will have its own staff of dedicated appraisers for right-of-way acquisition projects. That work can be as simple as determining the cost of a few feet of property or as complex as putting a dollar amount on a construction project’s impact to farmland.

Appraisers are in high demand as the work force ages and fewer people enter the profession, Mr. Vriezelaar said. Those trends helped drive the merger.

“We don’t see as many appraisers coming in as we did earlier in our careers, so from a business standpoint we have to decide: How are we going to address that internally for our own business operations?” he said.

The company relies on its employees’ professional certifications and licenses to perform its work.

“Ultimately the only thing we have that’s proprietary is our people,” he said. “It makes you, as a company, want to invest in your people, because that’s really the only reason you have any success.”

Locally, Westerie helped Metroparks Toledo and ODOT acquire land and easements for the Glass City Riverwalk, assembled land to create an industrial site for the Oregon Economic Development Foundation, and worked on the Dorr Street interchange and surrounding road improvements.

Metroparks Toledo’s Riverwalk project was funded with millions in federal grants administered by ODOT, and a project at that scale was new to the Metroparks. Jennifer Van Horn, the Metroparks’ chief planning and construction officer, said Westerie helped the project meet crucial deadlines and comply with strict permitting requirements.

“We had $25 million from the federal government ... and on our current project we had $19 million, so there are huge projects with a huge responsibility to make sure we’re hitting deadlines,” she said. “I can call [Mr. Vriezelaar] and his team and just be like, ‘I need help, what do I need to do?’ This isn’t something [the Metroparks] do regularly, so this was a new experience for us.”

Another major partner for Westerie is Tetra Tech, an engineering consulting firm that works on many road projects in northwest Ohio. Andrew Langenderfer, Tetra Tech’s vice president, said Westerie works with property owners and engineers to reduce impacts during the design process and also works to secure the property needed for roadway expansions, roundabouts, and other projects.

“They’re on the front lines with the property owners, doing negotiations, appraisals, and all that to get it signed [off on],” Mr. Langenderfer said. “They just feel like they’re an extension of your staff, and they want to help make everything go smoothly.”

Contact Alex Bracken at abracken@theblade.com.