Sale of strip delays project

The property owner is
looking for further
discussion on the matter.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

LIBERTY — The sale of a small strip of land along Belmont Avenue seems to be all that stands in the way of a developer’s bringing a multimillion-dollar business venture to the township.

Now, some officials are beginning to mention using eminent domain as a means of taking the land and creating a township-owned service road that would likely save the project.

Township Administrator Pat Ungaro said the BT Group LLP, Altoona, Pa., is looking to tear down the vacant Ramada Inn building at 4255 Belmont Ave. and building in its place two large stores.

Ungaro said he could not officially announce what stores would be developed on the site but said they are major retailers, and the project would be worth between $7 million and $10 million.

The Ramada building, according to Stan Nudell of Lewis Real Estate, has been on the market for the past two years with a list price of $1.5 million. He said the property has been under contract for the past year with the current interested developer while details of a purchase agreement are ironed out.

Ungaro said the project hinges upon installation of a service road and traffic light between the former hotel and the current Mahoning Valley Economic Development Corporation building which sits adjacent to the hotel. The Ohio Department of Transportation has approved plans for the light and service road.

The BT Group has requested either a permanent easement or to buy the strip of land between the two buildings from MVEDC for $40,000, but that offer has been rejected.

Donald French, the MVEDC executive director, in a letter to the BT Group, said there is no interest in selling the piece of land because such action would diminish the value of the rest of MVEDC’s property and prohibit access to the MVEDC building from Belmont.

Other concerns about the sale listed in the letter include safety issues and an inability to expand in the future.

“We are aware of the project, and we are trying to work with the township and the developer to achieve the developer’s goal, but at the same time, we are trying to protect our interest,” French said. “We do look forward to sitting down and working this out with them.”

MVEDC, in its letter, offered to sell the entire MVEDC building, including the strip of land in question, to the developer for $1 million. That offer was rejected in a letter from the attorney representing the developer.

Ungaro said the project cannot be lost over a small land dispute.

He is hoping to bring the two parties together for more negotiations.

“The bottom line is that this is a multimillion-dollar project, and now we have this problem,” Ungaro said. My recommendation [to the trustees] will be that we take the property by eminent domain. It’s sad that a development company doesn’t see the importance in this. We cannot let this project die without giving it the full-court press.”

jgoodwin@vindy.com