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Stark County moves to solicit interest in Speedway lease after tenant declines renewal
Summary
At a public listening meeting, Stark County officials said they will finalize and publish an open RFP for the Speedway that will allow parties to express interest in leasing or purchasing the property; commissioners emphasized maintenance requirements and the need for a clear inventory of county-owned assets.
At a public listening session, Speaker 1 (a county commissioner) told attendees the county will prioritize finalizing and issuing an RFP to gather proposals for operation of the Speedway after the current tenant declined to renew its lease.
"We had the current tenant giving us notice that there was gonna be a non renewal of the lease," Speaker 1 said, framing the RFP as an open process for parties interested in leasing or purchasing the facility. Commissioners and community members repeatedly pressed for clarity about what the county owns on-site — land, buildings, equipment and whether items brought by previous operators would transfer with any new agreement.
Community participants said potential operators expect a clear inventory. "I don't even know for sure what we own to tell them other than we got the land out there," Speaker 3 said, stressing prospective lessees want certainty about fixtures and equipment. County staff and speakers noted county property lists (insurance schedules, fixed-asset inventories) may help but that a formal county-owned inventory does not currently exist.
County officials described the RFP approach the county discussed at prior park board meetings: issue an open solicitation with no preconditions so respondents can indicate interest in leasing or purchasing. "There's no sense doing appraisals or any of this kind of stuff if everybody is in the lease mindset," Speaker 1 said, adding that an appraisal becomes relevant only if a purchase bid emerges.
Commissioners emphasized that lease language should make maintenance responsibilities explicit. Speaker 1 proposed a triple-net-style lease that would require tenants to handle routine upkeep — mowing, weed control and other grounds work — while leaving county staff to perform spot checks and enforce standards. "We could build [the lease] that way," Speaker 9 said, urging terms that would let the county step in and bill lessees if maintenance lapses.
Speakers also urged the county to recruit experienced promoters who treat the Speedway as a full-time operation rather than relying on part-time volunteers. "That's what we needed — a guy with the time. That's what it needs," Speaker 3 said, arguing that a promoter who actively markets events will attract higher-quality drivers and larger regional draws.
As near-term steps, commissioners asked staff to finalize the RFP and to reach out to known interested parties so the county does not rely only on public notice. Speaker 1 closed the item by asking people with follow-up ideas to contact commissioners and by reiterating the short-term goal: "Short term goal here is to finalize that RFP. Get it out...and then once we get feedback...we can go down different lanes."
