ELYRIA, OH – Last night, Elyria City Council unanimously approved the addition of a light-industrial zoning code overlay affecting parcels at Midway Mall. The overlay makes it possible for new development to begin at the long sought-after site, as well as continued business-general district endeavors.
The zoning overlay marks the first in the City’s history.
“This marks a new era and opportunity for the mall to be able to attract a new use, including what many see as a golden opportunity for a distribution center.” said Mayor Frank Whitfield “We look forward to working with the developers to get this site revitalized for Elyria and our surrounding cities.”
Prior to the ordinance’s passage, the Office of the Mayor and Safety Service Director, under the leadership of Mayor Frank Whitfield, and economic development expertise of Assistant Safety Service Director Dawn Calvert, worked diligently with developers and mall owners on solutions for the property.
“We had multiple conversations with the property owners, developers and brokers and quickly learned that because the zoning did now allow for distribution, warehousing, and other related uses we would have trouble getting commitments from end users. The zoning overlay is a critical first step in the redevelopment of Midway Mall. Having the appropriate zoning in place will reduce risk and time making the site more competitive.” shared Director Dawn Calvert
Midway Mall redevelopment has been a top priority of the administration, and was a leading promise during Mayor Frank Whitfield’s 2019 campaign.
“We came into office knowing that redevelopment at Midway Mall would be a top priority for the administration. The vision has been to leverage the existing transportation routes to create an opportunity in growing industries such as distribution and logistics.” shared Assistant Director Calvert.
The future of the Midway Mall site is still in development. Due to the sensitive nature of economic development deals, additional information will be provided at a later date by respective property owners and their incoming tenants.
“We’re excited to have expanded avenues for development at Midway Mall” said Councilman Kenny Oswald “this zoning update has opened the door for the most possible investment in our city.”
Individuals interested in seeing the legislative journey of the zoning overlay, and the discussions that led to this point are encouraged to watch Planning Commission and/or Elyria City Council meetings from November 2020, through February 2021 at www.cityofelyria.org/youtube
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