Wadsworth plans to create 'premier athletic complex in Northeast Ohio' on 205-acre site

Wadsworth is poised to buy a 205-acre site the city hopes to develop into one of the premier parks in the Akron area.

It would also become one of the area's largest athletic and park complexes.

The $1.95 million purchase would gradually be transformed into a series of ball fields, tennis and pickle ball courts, trails and possibly an event center.

Much of the property would become a traditional park with trails for walking, running and mountain biking. Fishing would be available on the property’s three ponds.

The site would double the growing city’s park infrastructure.

Council gave its approval in a special meeting Tuesday night for the purchase, part of the city’s master plan for its 24,046 residents, more than double its 1960 population of 10,635.

‘The premier athletic complex’

In size, the site rivals some of the area’s largest parks, including the 197-acre Southgate Park in Green and Akron’s 90-acre Airport Ball Fields complex.

In its first phase, part of the property would be transformed into four ball fields to accommodate a growing need for such facilities in the community. Other ball fields could be added in later phases.

“We think it can be the premier athletic complex in Northeast Ohio,” said Director of Public Service Robert Patrick during a tour of the site March 30.

The site will take a lot of development – and funding – to get to that point.

The former home of the Wadsworth Brick and Tile Co., the land has gone unused for decades, said Patrick.

"It's been vacant since the ’70s or ’80s," he said.

Silos, bricks and muddy roads

The property contains two silos that may be incorporated into future park plans, abandoned mounds of bricks, and dirt roads suitable only for off-road vehicles. It has three ponds suitable for fishing. They, too, would become part of the future complex.

Mayor Robin Laubaugh said the site would help satisfy community needs identified by an update to the city’s Park Master and Trail Plan completed this year.

“It became very clear through the master parks (plan) that we needed to have an athletic complex,” she said in a phone interview.

As it stands now, parents can have multiple children playing on fields at different parks in the city, with teams occasionally needing to rent a field in another city.

Patrick said the property became available after the current owner was unsuccessful marketing the land for industrial users.

"Over the last 10 years, the owner has tried to sell this as industrial land," he said. "They've tried to market this (and) the city has also helped them try to market it."

In March, the city held a community meeting on the parks situation, and ball fields were at the top of residents’ wish list.

Also in March, Patrick said, council members toured the brickyard site. In the buildup to Tuesday night’s vote, council members questioned the service director about soil and water testing at the site and the cost to develop the property.

So far, testing has confirmed the property is suitable for its intended use.

No tax increase for brickyard, mayor says

Laubaugh said a more detailed site plan will be hammered down after the property is in the city’s possession.

“You certainly do this in phases,” she said. “First phase would be four ball fields ... (with) roads and infrastructure, that’s a lot to construct.”

The mayor said future meetings with residents and council members will help solidify plans and their cost. Funding would come without a tax increase, she said.

“(We) would use existing cash, grants, possible borrowing,” Laubaugh said. “It’s up to the community and it’s up to council.”

The project would be able to satisfy the city’s long-term parks and recreation needs as it continues to grow, she said.

“The goal is to be able to accommodate every sports organization and activity now and into the future. We’re planning for the future,” said Laubaugh.

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Wadsworth to buy 'Brickyard' site to create park, athletic complex