The Cuyahoga Falls City Council Planning and Zoning Committee approved a rezoning ordinance on Monday night that will help pave the way for the much-anticipated Portage Crossing project.

City Council will likely give the ordinance final approval at its regular meeting next Monday, Sept. 24.

In doing so, the former State Road Shopping Center site would be rezoned from MU-4 (mixed-use "suburban corridor") to C-1 "Commercial District" to better conform with the actual land use that developer Stark Enterprises envisions, according to Fred Guerra, the city’s planning and zoning director.

Stark requested the zoning change earlier this summer because construction of the new Menards and Giant Eagle anchor stores would most likely be hampered by mixed use development guidelines.

Cuyahoga Falls Development Director Sue Truby said Stark could break ground on Portage Crossing this fall; however, construction might not begin till April.

Once started, the one-phase project will take about two years to complete.