BARBERTON CITY COUNCIL Industrial park work moves forward

By BOB MOREHEAD

BGNN senior staff writer

BARBERTON   City Council at its Nov. 18 committee work session advanced important legislation for the city’s new North End industrial park.

The Streets Committee sent legislation forward that, if approved, will pay Kenmore Construction $732,407 to drastically reconfigure the intersection of Newell Street and Norton Avenue. The high school’s current gravel parking lot will be eliminated, that space to be transformed into an entry point for the facility. A new, paved parking lot on Newell would be built to take its place.

The city has been working for more than a year with the Barberton Community Foundation to transform the abandoned and blighted Rockwell International plant there into an industrial park.

Mayor William Judge has said there have already been queries from interested companies.

The Finance Committee that night advanced companion legislation shuffling money across funds to pay the cost.
The W Huston Street project came in under budget so the Finance Committee advanced legislation moving $134,497 back into the American Rescue Plan Act grant fund to be used elsewhere later.

Also sent to the council floor was an authorization for the mayor to apply for a state grant to help pay for festivities for the 250th birthday of the United States. The city administration is working with the schools, the library and Main Street Barberton to throw a party.

Also advanced was a contract with Delta Dental for city employee coverage.