Lorain Ohio Kartplex to host open house Saturday (VIDEO)

LORAIN — It only took Kris McCrone five years and seven months to turn his dream into a reality. "But who's counting?" he said with a laugh while walking through the skeleton of what will the the Lorain Ohio Kartplex's retail store. He first pitched the project — turning a vast former landfill on Lorain's east side into a professional motorsports park — in early 2020. From there, it stopped and started, through changes in development partners and City Council committee hearings until it broke ground last year. Now, the site includes the shells of the retail store, warehouse and garages, a time-keeping tower and the lengthy, snaking raceways waiting for karts to hit the pavement. The team behind the 37.5-acre, $12 million project will hold an open house 1-4 p.m. Saturday to highlight the progress made on its 0.82-mile competition track and nearby 0.42-mile rental track. That will include demonstrations by seasoned kart drivers. The first professional racing event is Aug. 17, with the start of the inaugural Black River Kart Club series, McCrone said on Tuesday. He expects the rental track to be open in the fall. The store, the largest building now on the site , will eventually house rows of go-kart parts and equipment from myriad brands, McCrone and Marketing Director Chris Haynes said. In the abutting parts warehouse, boxed chassis will line the walls and rented storage slots will rise to the ceiling. Across a gravel lot, larger rented garage spaces will be available for more seasoned racers to upkeep their karts ahead of compeitions. "Think of U-Store-It on steroids," McCrone said. The rented garage spaces will have heated floors, internet and 24-hour access. He continued to walk across the gravel site, noting the timing and scoring towers were set for a city inspection today. Both tracks are complete, with the main delay to opening for racing being the barriers to separate spectators from the karts — which could reach about 100 mph on straightaways on the competition side. Rental karts, once in place, will have a top speed of 50 mph. A portion of those barriers were expected later this month while others were onsite awaiting installation. Those barriers, which include three levels — a fence, shrink-wrapped tires and manufactured barriers — will be in before the Aug. 17 race, McCrone said. Because much of the site is atop the former Cromwell landfill, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will do periodic reviews, McCrone said. The asphalt track is on the former landfill, while the retail space and other buildings are not due to the digging required for plumbing and other utilities. The $12 million project includes $2 million each in support from the city and county, with a stipulation that taxpayer dollars are used last in the development. In late 2024 the city passed tax increment financing for the property to fund improvements to the area. McCrone will not see any money from the TIF. The redirection of property tax dollars will help fund future city improvements in the area, including on Root Road, Colorado Avenue and the Colorado Avenue Industrial Park. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.