MEDINA – Could Innovation Park be developed as a residential neighborhood instead of the technology park envisioned by county officials 20 years ago?

Westfield Township resident Gregg Depew suggested the idea to Medina County commissioners May 9 and said he was the man to develop the 60-acre parcel next to the Medina County University Center in Lafayette Township.

However, County Commissioner Bill Hutson directed Depew to the Medina County Port Authority which controls Innovation Park since county commissioners deeded the property to them 20 years ago.

Bethany Dentler, advisor to the Port Authority and director of the Medina County Economic Development Corporation said Depew has contacted the Port Authority but has modified his proposal several times and left leaders there uncertain about some critical details in his offer.

A letter of intent submitted by Depew March 28 states that he was withdrawing an earlier offer for a commercial development at Innovation Park and instead proposed having the land rezoned and split into 39 lots for single family homes.

Dentler responded to Depew’s proposal by saying only, “We will entertain any and all legitimate offers for Innovation Park.”

The Port Authority has been hoping Innovation Park would attract industries and technical companies interested in taking advantage of training opportunities offered by the University Center next door and access to the county’s high speed fiber communications network. Lafayette Township officials have given the land a special zoning classification for that purpose.

However, Innovation Park has not attracted any industries to build there. Three different commercial real estate companies have tried to attract developers. The latest is SVN Summit Commercial Real Estate Group, which took over marketing responsibility for the property in October.

The Port Authority touts Innovation Park as a premier business property for the 21st century with exceptional communications capabilities provided by the fiber network loop and easy access to technical training for a workforce at the neighboring University Center.

Both the University Center and Innovation Park are built on land that was owned by the county and once was a working farm that helped support the Medina County Home located nearby.

The university and industrial park were the products of several years of negotiations and a $1.2 million grant from the state’s New Frontiers Program to build the infrastructure for the college and industrial park.

The Port Authority was organized around the same time the University Center was built to channel funding for the project. The Port Authority was given title to the property with the understanding it would pay the county $200,000 for the property once it is sold to a developer.