About 500 people gathered at Lordstown high school’s stadium today in support of the TJX distribution center project. There were about 10 or so elected officials led by Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill and Congressman Tim Ryan (right). The speeches were short and pretty good.

Arno focused on the economic benefits. The land in question currently generates about $7500 per year in Taxes while TJX is expected to pay the school system about $250,000 in in kind payments.

The crowd favorite was Harvey Lutz, the local farmer who owns the land. Harvey became an instant folk hero when he promise to start raising hundreds of thousands of chickens on the land that is already zoned agricultural, if TJX is driven away.

There were only a handful of people there opposed to the development. One carried a sign reading “TJX: Ruining Retirees Lives.” It must be tough working 40 years or so thinking you were going to get to retire next to an automobile factory and suddenly discovering you’ll have to live next to a warehouse, instead.