Area still being considered for professional soccer stadium
Northfield Center one of five spots under review for major league franchise
NORTHFIELD CENTER - Property in the township is one of five locations being considered for a $110 million major league soccer stadium that could seat 25,000, according to Paul Garofolo, general manager of the Cleveland Force indoor soccer team.
Garofolo said four Summit County locations and a site in downtown Cleveland are being considered for a public-private partnership to build the stadium.
"Northfield Center is just one site under consideration," Garofolo told the News Leader last week.
While Garofolo would not identify the other Summit County locations, he said the Cleveland site is on Ontario Street at the intersection of Carnegie Avenue near Jacobs Field.
Garofolo also declined to name the specific Northfield Center properties being reviewed, but said Heritage Development is assisting them with the deal. Heritage is a Moreland Hills-based development firm once headed by Bert Wolstein, who died earlier this year.
Also working on the project is Joseph Migliorini, Summit County director of economic development. Migliorini said Scott Wolstein, Bert Wolstein's son, is handling the deal on behalf of Heritage. Scott Wolstein did not return phone calls seeking comment.
While Migliorini also declined to name the properties involved, he said the Northfield Center location is near the east side of Route 8 north of Twinsburg Road. He said access to the area may have to be made via a right-turn-in, right-turn-out access to Route 8 that would need to be approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The soccer stadium could possibly open up around 200 acres in Northfield Center and Macedonia to further development, he said.
Plans are also in the works for the area to be accessed by a marginal road that would parallel Route 8 when ODOT converts Route 8 to a limited-access freeway. The marginal road would extend from Hines Hill Road in the south to Highland Road at the South Bedford Road intersection.
Pat Jackson, whose family owns around 80 acres in the industrial area near the northeast corner of Route 8 and Twinsburg Road, told the News Leader last week that Heritage had approached her family about purchasing their property, but said there was no purchase agreement.
Jackson said she used to work for the Cleveland Force as a staff member during the '80s.
"There isn't anyone better to put together a soccer franchise than the Wolsteins," she said. However, Jackson also said any thought of a stadium in the area is very preliminary.
Perry resident Francis J. Nock, who owns around 28 acres on the north side of Twinsburg Road in the industrial area, said he also had been approached by Heritage, but also had no deal.
A real estate broker representing Dominic Insana, who owns a garden center at the Twinsburg Road intersection with Route 8, told the Northfield Center Zoning Commission at its Aug. 9 meeting that Insana had a purchaser for both the garden center and landlocked property adjacent to Route 8, and the Jackson land.
Insana, who the broker said was requesting a lot split to facilitate the sale, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The zoning commission denied the lot split request because one of the lots would have no access to existing roads. The commission recommended Insana seek a variance from the township's zoning board of appeals.
Partnership details pending
Simon Borg, director of marketing for Major League Soccer, said last week the league has been working with individuals connected to the Wolstein family and Garofolo to further plans for a soccer franchise in the Cleveland area.
Borg said Major League Soccer was ready to award Bert Wolstein a franchise in 2005, but those plans were delayed by his death.
"We're still in talks with representatives of Mr. Wolstein's family," Borg said.
Garofolo said the details of the public partnership at the various locations being explored by the Summit County Port Authority, the Cleveland Port Authority, the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners and the city of Cleveland.
"The franchise has been acquired, subject to our ability to build a stadium," Garofolo said, adding, "It all depends on our ability to put a financing plan together."
Migliorini said he has asked the Sum-, mil County Port Authority to provide an analysis of how a partnership would work. He said one likely scenario would be for one party to purchase the property and build a stadium, lease it to the soccer franchise and have property taxes on the land go toward paying off the stadium's construction debt.
Chris Burnam, president of the Summit County Port Authority, said it may take several months to complete the study.
He said that if the plan is feasible and is agreed to by all parties involved, the port authority would facilitate financing construction of the stadium.
Migliorini said he's also asked that a domed stadium be considered, which would add around $35 million to the $110 million estimated cost, but would also make the facility a year-round venue.
"We're looking at the facility to be a multi-use facility," said Garofolo, adding the parties involved intend the stadium to be a good neighbor. "We hope to have high school and soccer championships."
"I think it is a project that can produce dollars for the community and produce jobs," Migliorini said. "It's not just a soccer stadium. The project will create a lot of dollars, a lot of jobs, it will also create a venue for entertainment.
"It will have great access, because it will have the ability to get up to 1-271."
Garofolo did not have any estimates on when a final site selection will be made, but said he hopes the new franchise will be able to take to the field by 2007.
"It depends on how fast we can put all the pieces to the puzzle together," he said.
[Record Publishing] Editor's note:
Marotta is editor of the News Leader, a sister paper [of the Hudson Hub-Times].
E-mail: emarotta @ recordpub.net
Phone: 440-232-4055