City Council backs Club Motor Estates
Broadview Heights City Council backs Planning Commission as Club Motor Estates development continues forward
Broadview Heights City Council on Monday voted to accept the Planning Commission’s recommendation to allow a similar use permit to Club Motor Estates. Jeff Piorkowski, special to Sun News
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio — The idea of a “yacht club for car collectors” moved another step towards reality Monday as City Council voted to accept the Planning Commission’s recommendation to grant a similar use permit for the proposed site.
Strongsville home builder Jeff Badger has proposed a $25-million development where car collectors can store their prized automobiles, envisioning it as something similar to facilities where yachters keep their sailing boats. Club Motor Estates would be built on 16 acres of land that now serves as home to Shriners International, 1000 E. Edgerton Road.
Preliminary plans call for 160 storage units, or condominiums, built with soundproof walls, cathedral ceilings, electricity, air conditioning and heating. The condos would sell for between $60,000 and more than $500,000.
The campus surrounding the condos would include a clubhouse, 400-seat ballroom, conference rooms, offices and streets with curbs, signposts and landscaping.
The current Shriners building, at 36,660 square feet, would be retained and would be home to many of the amenities, while seven additional buildings would be constructed. The Shriners would remain on the property.
“The zoning there is light industrial,” said Economic Development Director David Schroedel. “The Planning Commission has said that Club Motor Estates would be similar to things we already have there.”
Schroedel said there is a signed purchase agreement between the Shriners and Club Motor Estates.
In addition to the zoning side of the project, Badger must now work with the city in finalizing details pertaining to the development, such as planned architecture and assurance of proper access for safety vehicles.
Again, the Planning Commission must approve the plans, as well as the city administration and City Council before anything becomes definite.
“They have submitted detailed plans and we’ll be looking at them,” said Schroedel.
The first phase of the building plan would include upgrades to the current Shriners building, while the second phase would involve construction of the seven new buildings.
“I have no objections,” Councilman at-large James Giomini said of the proposal. “It’s planned for the extreme southern part of the city near our two biggest planned communities, New Hampton and Macintosh Farms. It’s a good place to put this.”
Badger pledged not only events for Club Motor Estates members, but at least one car-related show per month that would be open to the general public.
“I think people will come and spend money,” said Ward 1 Councilman Thomas Pavlica, who also favors the idea. “They’ll have big car shows and people will eat at our restaurants and shop at our stores.”