City Helps Pay For Building Facelift In Historic District
Solon City Council votes to contribute $50,000 to redevelop a building at 33240 Bainbridge Road.
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Solon City Council has decided to help a rundown building in the city's historic district receive a facelift.
The city will pay the building owner a revitalization grant worth up to $50,000 to renovate it with new siding, windows, doors, a gable roof and lighting. The project is estimated to cost about $123,000.
The hope is that the building at 33240 Brainbridge Road can be updated to house a new business.
Vice Mayor Ed Kraus applauded the move, which he said will "bring back a historic building in a historic area."
It's not the only building in the city's historic core -- the area along Bainbridge Road near SOM Center Road -- to be redeveloped in recent years.
The owners of Swirl Wine Bar updated an old building to open their wine bar. Down the road a bit, Harvest Kitchen and Lounge opened in the vacant building that once housed Arabica.
Suzi Castiglione
7:50 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
I guess I would need to read more about this, but a little surprised they would give so much money towards a property they don't even own.
Chris Mazzolini
8:15 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
Hi Suzi: Solon does this on a regular basis. It's a grant program the city runs as an incentive to get outdated buildings fixed up and filled with new businesses and jobs. Now, lots of people disagree with the idea of giving private entities tax dollars to bring them here or get them to improve, but Solon has been pretty committed to using these tools for economic development.
Suzi Castiglione
8:31 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
I get what it's about and that other cities do the same, but they will have to get a lot more business friendly to get and keep businesses here. There is a lot of empty real estate, too......buildings that are in move in condition. Still, I do like preserving places with historic value. This just didn't look like it was one. Since I didn't grow up here I am not familiar with it.
Bob Shimits
10:43 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
That building has no historical significance at all. It's just a run down commercial building that needs a facelift to be marketable.It just happens to be in the historic district.
Julie
9:06 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
The City of Solon's vacancy rate is only 10%. The signs the Brokers use can be misleading.
tomcody
3:41 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012
the city should lend the owner a bulldozer..!!..
Heinz Knall
3:47 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012
That's the old veterinary clinic. Will the $123,000 expenditure convert it to a "Western Reserve" style building? Personally, I think $50,000 in tax dollars is a rediculous amount of money to spend on a building like that. Better to declare it "blighted", have it torn down and start fresh. That building may have a great deal of nostalgia connected to it, but it is not historical by a long shot.