MEDINA, Ohio – After 10 months of waiting, the city has learned it was successful in obtaining a state grant that will help fund soil testing at the former Sunoco site at 426 W. Liberty St.
“The State of Ohio Department of Development has approved the grant request for the Brownfield Remediation Program,” Economic Development Director Kimberly Marshall announced during a Nov. 25 council meeting. “We did receive the full $300,000 and just as a reminder, the city will have to match with $100,000.”
Marshall said council has already authorized $100,000 in matching funds out of the economic development fund. She said the grant money and matching funds will be used for phase one and phase two geotechnical surveys to determine what if any kind of cleanup is required on the site.
“I have already been talking to City Engineer Patrick Patton to start working on the next steps,” Marshall said. “The project will need to go out to bid so we will be working on that soon.”
Marshall said a consultant will be hired with the funds to do the work and see what kind of contamination is on the site. She said that whether the city wants to sell the land, redevelop or donate it, the level of contamination on the site needs to be determined. She has said that if cleanup on the site is involved, the city has talked to the Medina County Land Bank about helping with any type of cleanup work.