Warehouse Revitalization Grant Defeated

UPDATE: The Solon Multi-Tenant Center won't receive a $30,000 grant after all.

The proposal was defeated Monday when the city council voted 3-3, defeating the payment.

The grant, under the city's Growth and Revitalization Incentive Program, was designed to help the property owner improve the building.

Council members Bob Pelunis, Bill Mooney and Bill Russo voted against the item. Council members Ed Kraus, Rick Bell and Toni Richmond voted for the grant. Nancy Meany was absent from the meeting.

The dissenters were concerned that that the grant was not doing enough to improve the overall marketability of the center, located on Aurora Road, and that the city would not receive a return on its investment. Other concerns were that the grant was going toward regular maintenance that's the responsibility of the property owner.

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The city of Solon may give the Solon Mult-Tenant Center $30,000 to help the owner convert the Aurora Road building from an old warehouse into office space.

City Council will vote on the grant at its meeting tonight. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at .

The 60,000-square-foot warehouse at 31100 Aurora Road, just east of Solon Cinemas, will be converted in an office building, will have its roof replaced and the parking lot restored, according to the draft agreement.

The project is expected to cost just under $300,000.

Construction of the improvements could begin in May and be done by September.

Solon Patch will be at city council tonight and will have more coverage from the meeting on Tuesday.