10 things to watch in Portage County in 2023
The year ahead promises to bring projects and progress to Portage County.
While no one can predict exactly what will happen in 2023, here are 10 things to watch, from newly elected community leaders and newly expanded roadways to commercial developments and developing court cases:
LG Chem
LG Chem, which broke ground on two buildings in Ravenna in May, plans to finish both by year's end.
The company is constructing them behind the former GE plant on North Chestnut Street: a 148,400-square-foot ABS compounding building and a 60,350-square-foot ABS technical center.
The company expects about 100 people to work at the new facility.
The factory will produce ABS, a type of flexible plastic used in various industrial applications, including the automotive industry.
Big development in Shalersville
A 1 million-square-foot building is under construction near the Ohio Turnpike exit in Shalersville.
Geis Construction, which is partnering with Stonemont Financial Group to build it, still doesn't know who will be moving in, but envisions one tenant occupying the entire structure.The building is expected to be complete by fall.
The facility is part of an industrial park that could bring further development to the site.
Commercial expansion
Aldi appears to be nearing completion on its new store in the Brimfield Commons development off Tallmadge Road.
The grocery chain also is planning a new store in Streetsboro to replace its existing site in the city. No construction or completion date has been announced.
A number of other businesses around Portage County are renovating or building, including a renovated Sheetz along the border of Franklin Township and Kent, and a brand-new Raising Cane's in Streetsboro.
Medical marijuana
After years of staying out of the medical marijuana business, except for a cultivation site in Ravenna Township, dispensaries are now coming to two of Portage County's cities.
Bliss Ohio plans to open in a storefront at 331 E. Main St. in Kent. In Ravenna, Simple AG plans to open in a former accessory store at 554 N. Chestnut St. The dispensary owners are still trying to change the zoning of a property next door for expanded parking for the business.
Local elections on the ballot
The year ahead is a big one for local elections, with voters in every city, township and village having the opportunity to elect new leaders.
Filing deadlines are Feb. 1 in Streetsboro, where voters will have a chance to choose a new mayor and City Council representatives in the city's wards; and Kent, where ward council representatives also will be elected. The February election applies only to partisan candidates, and independents can file later.
In Ravenna, where voters will elect a mayor, law director and some City Council members, petitions are due at the Portage County Board of Elections on Feb. 16.
Voters in Aurora will choose council members for at-large seats as well as Wards 2, 4 and 6, and fill an unexpired term in Ward 5. Petitions are due in August.
New county leaders
New leaders, most of them Republicans, will be taking office at the county level.
Mike Tinlin will join the Portage County Board of Commissioners, marking the first time in history that all three members of the board will be Republicans.
Matt Kelly also was elected to succeed longtime Portage County Auditor Janet Esposito, who had held the office since 1994.
Major road projects
Portage County cities have several major road projects in the works, many of which are funded with federal and state grant dollars.
In Ravenna, the city plans to pave 14 miles of streets. They include North Chestnut and South Prospect streets, using funding from the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study; replacement of more bricks on South Freedom Street; and work on Main Street. The city plans to widen part of West Main Street, and the Ohio Department of Transportation will resurface Main Street in its entirety in late 2023 or early 2024.
In Streetsboro, state Route 43 will be widened and resurfaced, which Mayor Glenn Broska said will be a "mirror" of the work wrapping up on state Route 14.
State Route 43, Broska said, will be widened between Market Square Drive and Frost Road, and the project will include curbs, gutters, sidewalks and resurfacing. Federal funds from AMATS, the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, will pay 80% of the project; state funds will pay 10%; and the city will handle the remaining 10%.
Kent's East Main Project won't get started until 2025, City Engineer Jim Bowling said, but design and acquiring easements for the land will begin in 2023.
Government buildings
Government building projects are moving ahead in Portage County cities, though most aren't expected to be complete by year's end.
Kent is constructing a new City Hall, a project that is well underway. However, the long-awaited $8.8 million building, which has been plagued by supply-chain issues, won't open until July 2024.
Streetsboro plans to start construction on a $3.1 million community center in 2023. The building will be at City Park, off Kirby Lane.
Earlier this year, Ravenna purchased the former Ravenna High School property at East Main and Clinton streets for a City Hall and safety center, and hired an architect to do preliminary planning on the project. Construction is not expected until at least 2024.
Meanwhile, Portage County officials have talked about expanding the county courthouse facilities and have eyed the nearby city property for the county's expansion. County commissioners have mentioned the need for a third common pleas judge because of crowded court dockets, but judges say there is no space in the courthouse for another courtroom.
Court cases
Many cases are pending in Portage County's Common Pleas Court, with hearings scheduled in the new year.
Zachary David Blosser is charged with murder in the shooting of 17-year-old Kaylee Freitag at a Nelson Township home they were both living in on March 12, 2021. A jury trial is currently scheduled for March 14.
Erik Cunningham, 35, is charged with murder in the shooting death of his wife, Lacie Cunningham, at their Brimfield home on New Year's Day 2018. There is a pending defense appeal involving the examination of evidence in the Ohio 11th District Court of Appeals, and no court dates are currently scheduled. Cunningham is free on a $2.5 million bond paid by his parents.
Nathan A. McAtee, 19, is accused of using a sword to murder Joseph McAtee, his 11-year-old brother, at the Windham Village apartment they were both living in on April 19. A jury trial was canceled in October while McAtee undergoes treatment after being found incompetent to stand trial.
Donald Ray Small Jr., 60, is charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife, 55-year-old Barbara Ann Small, at their Suffield Township home on Valentine's Day. A jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 28.
After Javon M. Thomas, 32, of Akron, was convicted in the Jan. 7, 2017, shooting deaths of Austin Tiller, 20, of Cuyahoga Falls, and Brian Brack, 24, of Canton, at a Ravenna home and sentenced to 36 years to life in prison, the Ohio 11th District Court of Appeals overturned the conviction. A new trial is scheduled for May 31.
Park expansion
New parks are being established in Kent and Streetsboro, and the Portage County Park District also is eyeing park land in Rootstown.
Ravenna has received grant funding to turn a 100-acre parcel along the southern edge of the city into a nature preserve.
Streetsboro got a new park last year. Located behind Joseph Industries on Aurora-Hudson Road, the park includes a drive just north of Joseph Industries, a 0.4-mile walking path and a pond.
The Portage Park District is asking Ravenna to sell Crystal Lake, which is located in Rootstown, which once served as part of the city's water supply, so it can become a park.
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 10 Things to Watch in Portage County in 2023
