Soccer in area still a goal, says developer

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by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

Nordonia Hills -- The issue of what to do about Nordonia High School's outside athletic facilities took another turn May 14 when the Board of Education was asked to extend the district's contract with Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group over a proposed soccer stadium.

Wolstein President Paul Garofolo requested that the Board extend the contract, which expired at the end of December, until June 30, 2008 while all the details surrounding the estimated 20,000-seat, retractable-dome stadium project, including some kind of ballot initiative on the November ballot, are worked out.

"We'll know where we're going by November, but for the purpose of executing the agreement, we'll need until June," said Garofolo.

The Board scheduled a work session for June 4 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the athletic fields and Garofolo's proposal.

Board Vice President Doug Masteller said he was annoyed that the process has taken so long.

"I guess I'm just a little disappointed that there's been no appreciation of the fact that we've been waiting a year," he said.

Garofolo said he was also disappointed at the delays.

"I think we have a clear game plan that we're working on now," he said.

In the agreement the Board and Wolstein entered into in April 2006, the district would receive between $6.7 million and $8.5 million upfront for renovations to the fields, as well as between $130,000 and $200,000 a year for 30 years in lieu of property taxes.

The Board of Education had considered placing on the May 2006 ballot a 1.33-mill levy to raise $5.5 million toward the project. It put off that plan when the Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group announced it wanted to construct a professional soccer stadium as part of an retail complex on the east side of Route 8 between Highland and Twinsburg Roads.

Garofolo said Wolstein is in the final process of negotiating naming rights for the stadium. He declined further comment, stating only the deal involved a major international company and he hoped to have more to say in the next two or three weeks.

He also said Wolstein was working on an additional financing proposal that he said he hoped to be able to provide information on within the next 30 days. Together, he said, the two revenue sources would wrap up funding for an open-air stadium. Garofolo said the new proposal is different from a county cigarette tax proposed last year. That 30-cents per pack tax was designed to generate $6 million per year for 30 years, but state lawmakers never reviewed legislation on the measure.

To supply a retractable dome, he said, Wolstein had a financing plan that involved placing an initiative on the ballot. Garofolo declined to give information to the Board, other than it would not involve the state, only the county, but added that he believed he would be able to say more within a few weeks.

The Board asked District Business Manager Tom Hartman to prepare options for financing the renovations of the athletic fields, including a possible levy, and revised estimates for the work.

"We put our project on hold for a year or more," said Board President Carl Ebner. "We have to know what we're going to do and have a backup plan."

"We really need to move forward and make a decision in the next 60 days or so," he added.

Board member Mary Sindelar said she wants to get more information from Garofolo about the stadium's financing before she makes a decision.

"If we don't have to, I'd rather not ask the residents for more money," she said.

Board member Greg Harris said he wants to hear what both Garofolo and Hartman present before he comments.

"It's been kind of a roller coaster ride," he said.

E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com

Phone: 440-232-4055 ext. 4105