Mayor Don Robart Weighs In On Portage Crossing, Dam Removal Progress
Robart says the city expects to break ground on the $40-60 million Portage Crossing project this spring
Mayor Don Robart helped CuyahogaFalls.Ohio.com celebrate one year in the business by weighing in on a couple important issues in the city right now.
The community newspaper asked the mayor about the progress with Portage Crossing project, which will bring a slew businesses — including a state-of-the-art Giant Eagle and 10-screen movie theater — to the area of Portage Trail and State Road.
"Menards will technically not be a part of Portage Crossing, we are very much anticipating this major retailer to be in very close proximity to the new development," he told the paper.
Original plans for Menards and Giant Eagle to anchor Portage Crossing were sidetracked in November after Stark was unable to clear room for the proposed 240,000-square-foot, two-story home improvement store when the owner of a nearby Pizza Hut refused to sell his land.
New plans under discussion may lead to the demolition of the Graham Road Giant Eagle to make room for a scaled-back, one-story Menards store.
Under this scenario, a Giant Eagle would then be constructed at Portage Crossing and the Graham Road Get-Go station would be moved to the corner of State and Portage Roads where a Marathon station now stands.
However, if Menards is built at the Graham Road location, the tax money it generates would go to the Woodridge Local Schools, not the Cuyahoga Falls City Schools.
Michael Symon’s B Spot Restaurant, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt remain in the Portage Crossing project, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Want to see more thoughts from Robart, including progress on the removal of two Cuyahoga Falls dams? Check out the full report at CuyahogaFalls.Ohio.com.
Are you looking forward to the 2013 project? Tell us in the comments!
In This article
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Pizza Hut
2893 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls, OH -
Marathon
2816 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls, OH -
Woodrige Local Schools District Office
4411 Quick Rd, Peninsula, OH -
Cuyahoga Falls City Schools Board of Education
431 Stow Ave, Cuyahoga Falls, OH -
Roger
7:04 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
We will see! Will probably "break ground" just before election season.
I saw that one of the new tenants for PC is Fashion Nails, Can't wait!
Too bad that Stark Enterprises and The Robart Administrationm aren't modeling Portage Crossing after the mixed-use Commerical development in Downtown Kent! Retail, Offices, Restaurants, and entertainment! Just Beautiful, and their downtown is bustling with pedestrian traffic.
Earl Elevant
7:46 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Robart would model it with Section 8 housing near the restaurants and stores.
Jeff
11:08 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
I don't think the Meynard's money going to Woodridge is an issue. It's a good thing. At least they won't lose the tax money from GE moving out. CF Schools will get the tax money it never did get now that GE will be at Portage Crossing, along with all the other businesses going in there. Losing Menynard's is a huge non-issue, tax-wise.
Pat Vaughan
12:42 pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
This summer, two dams will be removed from the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and the river will be flowing in a manner to attract white water kayaking, at a cost of about $5 Million. Sadly, the falls that for which the city was named will still not appear as it was in the 1800's. The reason? A larger dam at the area called the Gorge will remain, still hiding the great falls shown in this picture. That larger dam was built by Ohio Edison, now owned by First Energy. It has been estimated that it would cost $20 Million to remove that dam. First Energy, which claims to be environmentally responsible, recently paid $102 Million over 17 years for the naming right to Browns Stadium. Priorities??????