Former Spiegelberg Orchard property transferred to online car dealer

The former Spiegelberg Orchard property has been transferred to an Arizona-based car virtual dealership. Lorain County Commissioner Matt Lundy confirmed the transfer to Carvana on Friday. The property transfer is a matter of public record, he said, and there will be more details to follow surrounding an incentive package from the state. The details of the transfer were not immediately available Friday evening. He said the company will be able to give more specifics about plans for the lot in Elyria Township. Carvana specializes in buying and selling used cars completely online, delivering the vehicles to customers after they're purchased. "We'll keep our fingers crossed that things continue to move forward," he said. In December 2019, Elyria Township, Elyria, Lorain and the county entered into a joint economic development district agreement, or JEDD, of approximately 124 acres, to allow for development on the site. At the time, a potential investor of $35 million in improvements and construction was poised to create an estimated 200 jobs for the area. The developer's name was not being made public at that time. The JEDD agreement requires Lorain to provide sanitary sewer service for the area, with Elyria providing water to the site. The former Spiegelberg Orchards property, 6161 Middle Ridge Road, has been for sale for more than three years. It went on the market for $18 million in September 2016, according to previous reporting. Spiegelberg Orchards opened in the 1930s, and Kenneth and Ruth Spiegelberg ran the 105-acre property until they died in 2014, according to Chronicle archives. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.