Sports Complex Takes a Big Step Forward

A rezoning that threatened the future of a proposed sports center on Progress Drive has been granted, clearing the way for developers to move forward.

City Council this week agreed to rezone a 2-acre parcel behind Olympia Candy for the 22,000-square-foot Strongsville Performance Sports Center.

Olympia owner Bob McGrath was among those to speak in favor of the project at a public hearing on Monday, saying it would attract families from other communities, who would then shop at Strongsville businesses.

"We need to bring people into our city," he said.

Dan Martin of Calumet Circle agreed, saying he takes his family to training centers in other towns.

"It seems like we're lacking in places for people to train in basketball and other sports," he said.

Walt Rapacz and Jeff Zbydniewski, who earlier this year submitted plans to build on Progress Drive, said they want to give Strongsville kids another place to practice basketball, volleyball, batting, soccer and badminton.

City Council voted unanimously on Monday to change the zoning from Commercial Services to General Industrial.

Herre's the snafu that threatened the plan: When Rapacz and Zbydniewski purchased the land at auction last fall, it was listed as being zoned General Industrial, the only district in Strongsville that allows recreational facilities as a conditional use.

The partners discovered when they went to the Planning Commission earlier this year that the parcel had been rezoned a few years ago to Commercial Services.

Complicating the situation further, City Council is considering legislation that would remove recreation centers as a permitted use in the industrial zone.

The developers hired attorney Bruce Rinker, who in March asked City Council in March to "start a discussion" about how to "mesh the city's policy and this project."

Rinker said that if council no longer allows recreational facilities in industrial zones, "you're really taking this type of (athletic) use off the books altogether."

The developers sought to have the land zones back to industrial, then will ask for a conditional use permit to build their facility.

They had hoped to start construction this year, but the rezoning has slowed their plans.