Grove City narrows community-center sites; council directs feasibility work for Pinnacle Park

Grove City council and park board leaders on March 20 reviewed six finalist locations for a proposed multigenerational community center and signaled that Pinnacle Park — a city-owned parcel — should be the first site for more detailed feasibility and design work.

Miss Anderson, chair of the parks committee, and administration staff described a site-selection process led by Pizzuti and PROS Consulting that examined about 18 candidate parcels against 56–57 evaluation criteria; that process produced six finalists: the Hearth property, M.W. Hoover (Strader family) property, Murfin Fields (GCKA), Pinnacle Park, Hintzroth Park, and Friar Park. Staff said the site-selection committee estimated a program of about 188,000 square feet and a minimum site of roughly 15–16 acres for the city-owned community center model.

The meeting produced immediate changes to the list: staff told council the Hearth and M.W. Hoover owners had told negotiators they were not willing to sell, removing both from near-term consideration. "They have no interest whatsoever in selling," a staff speaker reported about the Strader family property; contact attempts for the Hearth property also yielded a firm decline. Staff noted eminent-domain is an option in extreme circumstances but would be lengthy and expensive.

Park Board Chair Sam Clark urged the council to keep the center city owned and operated: "Please make it city owned and operated. Please," he said, stressing accountability and program control if the city owns the facility. Several council members echoed the emphasis on equitable access and local control; one council member argued the center should carry the Grove City name and be governed locally.

On funding, staff and council discussed two finance paths that the site-selection and finance committees recommended exploring: extending the existing Pinnacle TIF and considering a voter-approved income-tax increase. A staff presentation said the Pinnacle TIF extension was projected in discussion to generate roughly $5 million per year, but presenters warned that TIF revenue alone would not finance the full cost of an 188,000-square-foot facility and that additional revenue (for example, from a modest income-tax increase) would likely be required to cover long-term debt service and operating impacts. The administration said $5 million had been included in an acquisition line in the programmatic budget and that $8 million was placed for 2026 to begin design work with Pizzuti.

With two privately held sites now unavailable, council members largely favored starting feasibility and scope work for Pinnacle Park, which is city owned and therefore carries no acquisition cost. Staff noted utility and access costs could vary depending on where within Pinnacle Park the building would sit (front portion with gravity sewer vs. back portion that would need a lift station estimated at up to $700,000). Council asked the administration to return with a feasibility scope and cost estimates using the funds already in the 2026 budget so design work can proceed if council confirms the site.

The council did not adopt a final site or vote on funding at the session; members framed the action as a request for administration feasibility work and next steps. The meeting recessed to caucus with the expectation the administration will present a scope and numbers at the next council meeting.