LIBERTY — A company with ties to the hospitality industry on the outskirts of Cleveland has acquired property on Motor Inn Drive with the intent to build a nearly 100-room hotel adjacent to the Metroplex Expo Center.

But to make the $6 million to $8 million project economically viable for Oakwood-based Steel & Liberty LLC, the company is seeking a tax-incentive deal from Trumbull County that would abate an estimated $70,000 in property taxes over 10 years.

The hotel would occupy about 55,000 square feet and would have 89 to 99 rooms, according to Nicholas Coggins, assistant director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission. The hotel brand is unknown at this point.

“They just mention they have a … flag of a major hotel corporation, but that is not public until they secure the abatement and financing,” Coggins said. “They have, more or less, it’s just saying they have somebody signed on if the project is a go. If it’s not, they then don’t want their name attached to it.”

Steel & Liberty LLC acquired nearly 5.1 acres at 1610 Motor Drive in December from the Trumbull County Land Bank, according to a record with the Trumbull County Auditor’s Office. The land bank acquired the property in 2015 from Girard Hospitality LLC.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, Steel & Liberty LLC formed in October. The company’s statutory agent is listed as Nisarg Patel with a mailing address at 23300 Oakwood Commons Drive. The address matches a hotel in Oakwood Village — the Hampton Inn & Suites Oakwood Village.

The site in Liberty previously was a Days Inn. The building was set on fire twice in 2014 and later demolished.

A community reinvestment area is an economic development tool used by municipalities and counties to provide tax exemptions for property owners who invest in real property improvements, either renovating existing buildings or constructing new ones.

Liberty applied that designation to the Belmont Avenue corridor.

Township trustees must OK the request. They are scheduled to do so May 19, according to Coggins.

Trumbull County commissioners plan to hold a public hearing 10 a.m. May 24 on the request. Immediately following at 10:15 a.m. will be a second public hearing. That one will focus on an enterprise zone agreement with Yellowstone Industrial LLC to repurpose Syro Steel in Girard.

YELLOWSTONE

Yellowstone Industrial LLC is asking for a 10-year, 75 percent tax abatement to help revive the former Syro Steel on North State Street. The company plans to recommission the vacant hot dip galvanizing facility to provide coating for steel highway safety products made by RG Steel Corp. in Pulaski, Pa.

The building has been vacant for several years. The company that owns it, Coggins said, has invested some money to renovate the office.

The hot dip galvanizing facility as this point “is a steel structure with old steel framing,” Coggins said.

“They are going to recommission that, so there is going to be an investment in equipment, upgrading the exterior facade of it so they can operate their galvanizing facility,” Coggins said.

Yellowstone Industrial LLC plans to invest about $3 million to improve the building, another $3 million to install new equipment and $2 million more on inventory. The company plans to bring in 25 jobs.

“That will be huge … it’s totally vacant right now, so 25 jobs is a pretty significant increase on any project where you are doing just one structure,” Coggins said.

Girard council is expected to vote on the request May 22.

A company named 1170 State Road LLC acquired the land and several buildings at the site for $400,000 in August 2021 from Syro Steel Co., according to the auditor’s office.

Syro Steel acquired the property in 1990.

rselak@tribtoday.com