Groveport village workers are still mowing the grass on the vacant lot at Main and Front streets, but village officials hope that a proposed commercial development will soon begin to grow there instead.
At Groveport Village Council’s July 28 meeting, Groveport Economic Development Director Jeff Green reported that he recently met with representatives of Pizzuti Solutions, the company working to develop the site to be known as the Groveport Town Center. Green said development costs for a 6,000 square foot building, that would be Phase I of the entire development, were discussed.
Green said a "prospective restaurant tenant" has "expressed some interest in 3,500 square feet of restaurant space, along with a large space for an outdoor patio/dining area."
Green reported Rick Dilsavor of Pizzuti Solutions indicated that, because this prospective restaurant tenant is busy opening two other locations, a meeting among the parties has not yet been scheduled but that it is hoped one could be set soon.
Plans for the northeast corner of Main and Front streets call for a potential retail/office development that includes: two, 19th century style two story brick buildings with varied storefronts, one 200 feet long and the other 100 feet long; parking in the rear in the former Ohio and Erie Canal bed, as well as some spaces on Main Street, that would accommodate 146 vehicles; and a public space at the west end of the development at Main and Front streets.
Other Groveport news
•Council heard the first reading of an ordinance to solicit bids and contract for the installation of a traffic signal at Groveport Road and Greenpointe Drive.
•Mayor Lance Westcamp said interviews were held with three possible candidates to fill the vacant village administrator job. However, Westcamp said he was not satisfied and has extended the deadline for new applications for the position until Aug. 6.
•Public Works Superintendent Dennis Moore stated the village is fogging for mosquitoes every Thursday from 3-7 a.m. He added abatement efforts to kill mosquito larvae in standing water are also ongoing.
•Building Official Stephen Moore said Groveport will no longer be providing building inspection services for the village of Lithopolis.
"They feel they’ve grown enough to support a building department of their own," said Moore.
•Council approved, by a 5-1 vote with Councilman Ed Rarey as the lone dissenting vote, an ordinance to grant a use variance to Bob Ward Construction and Rentals to construct two additional buildings of mini-storage units at 4855 Hendron Road.
•Council heard the second reading of an ordinance to contract with Groveport Madison Schools for the village to provide a police school resource officer (SRO) for Groveport Madison High School. Under the contract, Groveport Madison would pay $45,877 for the SRO, which is 69 percent of the cost of the officer, and the village would pay the remaining $20,611, or 31 percent.
•The Groveport Police Department is considering offering the Third Grade Safety Belt program offered by the Ohio Traffic Safety Office to area third grade classes. The program is a 30 minute lesson taught by a police officer. Program materials would be obtained by grant funds and the village would be reimbursed at $4 per child.
•The Links at Groveport golf course will be the "home" course for the Groveport Madison High School and the Madison Christian High School golf teams this fall.
