Aurora City Council on Feb. 26 granted a four-year, $200,000 tax credit to Atlas Cinema Barrington LLC, which is soon to open a 10-screen movie theater in Barrington Plaza.
Atlas Cinemas will collect a 5% surcharge on all admissions sales and will remit the proceeds to the city. In return, Aurora will establish the $200,000 tax credit, which Atlas Cinemas may use to offset its local tax burden.
The credit will expire in four years even if it is not fully used.
Council also considered but did not finalize a conditional zoning certificate for a 10-foot-wide hike and bike trail to be sited along the former Norfolk-Southern Railroad property.
The 2.8-mile trail would start at Chamberlain Road in Mantua and end at Route 82 in Aurora’s historic Station District. It would run adjacent to other park properties, including Aurora’s Paddock River Preserve and Spring Hill. One section will be adjacent to Aurora Sanctuary, a state sanctuary owned by the Greater Cleveland Audubon Society.
Formerly owned by the Norfolk-Southern railroad, the right of way the hike and bike trail would occupy is now owned by FirstEnergy. The land itself bisects Aurora. After years of litigation against the energy corporation, which wanted to build transmission towers in the right of way, city leaders ended up with a permanent recreational easement along the former railroad corridor.
The conditional zoning certificate is needed because the path winds through property that is zoned residential. Council expects to approve the zoning certificate when it meets in March.
Additionally, Aurora roads are about to receive some attention, as council authorized ODOT to resurface Route 306 and Route 82 from Aurora Road to Townline Road. The contract has the city paying 20% of the total project cost and bearing full responsibility for the cost of change orders it might request, including subsurface repairs.
Council also authorized ODOT to complete deck sealing on two bridges on Route 82. ODOT will not be charging Aurora for that work.
Council also approved:
- $174,719 for the city’s share of a school resource officer and support dog expenses. The board of education is to absorb the remainder of the total $242,075 price tag.
- A $50,000 contract with Better Together Solar for solar panels on the southern roof of Fire Station 1.
Meanwhile, a $4.5 million proposal to purchase part of the former Geauga Lake Amusement Park and all of Geauga Lake itself remains on hold as Aurora’s law director continues to negotiate contract details with ICP Geauga Lake LLC.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.