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Austintown development project in ‘infant’ stages
By Kalea Hall
austintown
A multimillion-dollar project in Austintown leads one township trustee to believe there is potential for job growth even greater than from the development of the racino along state Route 46.
“We are talking about a $100 million project to $125 million project,” said Jim Davis, trustee.
The project Davis refers to is known as Project Silica.
It features the development of two hotels, villas, an event space, retail center, multiple restaurants and other amenities. Another aspect of the project is an independent-living center.
Township officials will have a news conference at 11 a.m. today at township hall to discuss future development.
The racino project also was a multimillion-dollar investment that brought a thoroughbred racetrack to the Valley, hundreds of jobs and other economic impact.
Two developers, who have not been named, are leading the project that is in its infant stages. No permits have been issued for this development.
The Vindicator learned earlier this year that the Western Reserve Port Authority met with a development firm out of Pittsburgh on a $125 million residential project near the Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
The firm was interested in capital-lease financing.
Sarah V. Lown, economic-development manager for the port authority, said talks continue with the developers. “They are looking at their options including financing,” she said.
On Friday, The Vindicator sent an open-records request to the Austintown Zoning Department for any information about the project. That information was received Monday.
All that was included is a map of the potential development and an email sent to the department by Ryan Fisher, vice president of the Cleveland office for Colliers International, a commercial real-estate company.
Fisher, who represents the developer of the prospective independent-living center he would not name, said the developer now is looking for property elsewhere in the township that would accommodate the project’s zoning needs.
“We are looking all over Austintown,” Fisher said. “We would love to be there.”
Darren Crivelli, Austintown zoning inspector, said the area the developer was looking at along Route 46 is zoned Business B-2. Generally speaking, this potential development would require the area to be rezoned, which would necessitate three public hearings.
Crivelli said the zoning department has referred the developer to other areas in the township that would be more compatible.
Although there hasn’t been mention of a developer, the map provided to The Vindicator lists a development firm that could not be reached for comment.
“We knew there would be some spin-off coming from the racino,” Davis said. “It is all still fresh, but the mere [thought of] investment there is exciting.”