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Raceway may fuel growth in Salem
The purchase of the land for $1 million looks possible, the city’s mayor says.
SALEM — Mayor Jerry Wolford now sees the Quaker City Raceway as a potential economic development project.
Wolford recently said he had changed his perspective on the project after meeting with Greg DiDonato, the executive director of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association based in Cambridge, Ohio. The agency offers economic help on projects.
The mayor wants to buy the approximately 170 acres in Green Township in Mahoning County, which would have to be annexed to Salem.
About 75 acres at the raceway at 10359 W. South Range Road is open for development. The rest is part of the track and other buildings.
City officials want the land because it’s the only way it can get more space for a new industrial park. The city’s other two parks are full.
The purchase of the land at a cost of $1 million is far from complete, but it looks possible, the mayor said.
Wolford said he now looks as the raceway as the first company in the industrial park.
If the city can find or borrow money to buy the entire property, owner Dan Swindell has offered to lease the raceway, which has a full schedule of events up and running that will go through the summer.
That arrangement could bring in $100,000 a year to the city.
Swindell could not be reached to comment.
DiDonato pointed out that any raceway revenue could help fund development of water and sewer lines needed for any industrial development.
But that’s not the only form of development.
Corey Ward, promoter of the 4th Annual Steel Valley Supernationals in late June, said he’s ready to go.
Ward pointed out that he is not involved in the sale. But his event is the one that brings out the crowds in Salem in early summer.
Mike Grimstad of Salem is working to help promote the events in Salem during the Super Nats.
When it comes to track visitors that come to Salem to eat, he said, “If 15,000 to 18,000 people come and spend $10, do the math.”
Ten dollars, he said, doesn’t cover much more than a beer and a hotdog these days.
Spending $20 to $25 is a more realistic figure on expenditures, he added.
The group of people helping to promote events in Salem is asking for $2,500 from city tourism funds. That helps with some of the basic costs, he said.
And it’s not all about money. A new event in Salem this year will be a kid’s peddle tractor competition, Grimstad added.
wilkinson@vindy.com