The city of North Royalton is looking to purchase property that currently belongs to Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office. The road and bridge maintenance facility property, located at 4875 York Road, will be one of four properties sold, as the county will consolidate its maintenance in one building in another location. They have requested that those interested in purchasing the property submit a Request for Proposal by March.
The property totals 10.14 acres, which includes an approximate 12,500 square foot building. The city of North Royalton currently leases a five acre portion of that property, which abuts York Road recreational complex of baseball fields and currently houses the city’s Recreation Department. In September of 2008, the city entered into an agreement with Cuyahoga County for a 25-year lease with a 25-year option for property adjacent to the York Road complex. At that time, one new baseball field was added with added parking, and another baseball field was added the following year.
Community Development Director Tom Jordan said the city is a perfect candidate for the property, not only because of the current lease, but also because the land is currently zoned PF Public Facility, which would limit the interest of prospective buyers. Mayor Bob Stefanik said that discussions are taking place between city and county officials.
“The city has a variety of needs for storage of equipment and emergency equipment, and the Rec Department has some specific needs,” said Jordan. “The Rec Department has a building at York Road, with storage at the cemetery, Heasley Fields and Memorial Park. This might centralize some of that.” He also noted that the city is under mandate from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to store equipment indoors. Anything with hydraulic fluid needs to be stored inside.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer