MEDINA, Ohio – Council’s finance committee has accepted a transfer of land from the Medina City Development Corporation. The parcel in question will potentially be used to improve the South Elmwood parking lot.
Economic Development Director Kimberly Marshall said the land was originally three city lots which the city purchased from the Medina County Commissioners. She said the city transferred the land to the Medina City Development Corporation last year and the corporation consolidated the three lots into one and had a new deed prepared.
“The development corporation now wants to transfer the lot back to the city for the purpose of enhancing economic development which we would do through a parking lot renovation,” Marshall said.
Marshall said the renovation would double the amount of parking spaces in the lot from 40 to 81 and would also include a retention basin to help with drainage issues as well as lighting and landscaping.
Council President John Coyne said the folks constructing the Legacy Hotel originally had an interest in the parcel but discovered the cost to renovate the parcel into a parking lot would cost at least $400,000. He said hotel officials have expressed they would be willing to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of the renovation. Under this agreement, the lot would be available for public parking, but hotel guests could also use the lot when hotel parking is full.
Marshall said she would like to apply for both a brownfield remediation grant as well as a grant from the Ohio Department of Development to help offset the cost of the renovation. She said she will keep council updated on the status of each grant.
Medina to seek grants for South Elmwood parking lot improvements
