Menard Inc. purchases more than 300 acres of land for The Market at Medina Line

A controversial plan to build a retail development on Route 18, just past Montrose and in Granger Township, took a step closer to fruition after Menard Inc. recently finalized the purchase of several plots of land in the township totaling more than 300 acres.

Menard has proposed constructing The Market at Medina Line, which would be a retail complex anchored by a Menard store.

Jeff Abbott, a spokesman for Menard Inc., confirmed the land purchases.

"It is our intent to build a store at some point in the future," Abbott said. "No official timeline has been established at this point in time.”

According to land records from Medina County, there were four deals filed earlier this month Menard Inc., which is based in Eau Claire Wisconsin. The first was a transaction between the company and an individual for a little more than an acre for $500,000.

The second was between Menard and MCL Investments for nearly $7.14 million involving multiple parcels totaling about 151 acres.

The third transaction is between Menard Inc. and Pinnacle Sports Complex, and is an agreement between the two companies for a cross access easement. Pinnacle Sports is west to the land Menard Inc. owns.

The fourth is between the company and a trust fund involving three parcels totaling about 148 acres for $5 million. .

Menard defeated earlier legal challenges, asks for extension

The township previously approved the first phase of The Market at Medina Line.

Menard successfully fought off legal challenges from Citizens Action Group, which argued that the development failed to meet the township's zoning resolution and could potentially cause environmental harm. The Medina County Court of Common Pleas and the Ohio Ninth Judicial District Court of Appeals both ruled that the citizen's group had no legal standing to file a case. The Ohio Supreme Court earlier this year refused to hear the case, allowing the decisions of the lower courts to stand.

Liz Schmidt, an outspoken opponent of the development, said the land purchases were disappointing.

"This is especially concerning when we face so many threats from deforestation, decreasing biodiversity, and water contamination in our region and globally," Schmidt said. "However, we are also extremely proud of our community for holding off this project for years against great odds. We will continue to work to limit the damage done to the community and our environment from this massive development and will advocate for the sale of a portion of forested land to the Medina Parks District so that some of the land in question will be protected."

On Nov. 3, representatives from Menard went before the Medina County Department of Planning to ask for an extension for its preliminary plan. According to the meeting minutes, Tom O'Neil, who handles real estate acquisitions for Menard, said the company administrators were still working their way through the conditions of their approval, adding that this was "a big project and it would take some time with some other outstanding issues hanging out there." The request was unanimously granted.

Menard has more than 300 home improvement stores located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Ohio has 30 Menard stores, including in Cuyahoga Falls and in Kent.

Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Menard Inc. purchases more than 300 acres for planned retail complex