NOACA approves Avon interchange

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency just approved the controversial Nagel interchange off Interstate 90.

Approval is contingent upon Avon Council adopting the proposed revenue sharing and joint economic development agreement, which shouldn’t be an issue since the city took the initial proposal to NOACA.

The initial proposal was an attempt at a compromise with the Cuyahoga County members of NOACA. NOACA members in Cuyahoga County, as well as Elyria Mayor Bill Grace, had been against the interchange saying it would steal business and therefore tax dollars from their communities.

Avon’s proposal created a joint economic development district with Cleveland, Lakewood, Rocky River, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Bay Village and Westlake, which would last for 15 years. The agreement gives half of the income tax revenue from any company that moved from one of those cities to the area around the new interchange back to the community it left for five years.

The proposal now includes Elyria and several other Lorain County communities and will now last 30 years as opposed to 15.