Elyria Council approves rezoning for new business at former Bluestar plant

More than five years after it closed, the former Bluestar Metal Recycling plant appears to have found new life, after City Council voted Tuesday to rezone the property. Rod Hilton, owner of Xpress Asphalt and Concrete Solutions, plans to make the roughly 5-acre property the new headquarters for his business, and passed a major milestone to do so when Council voted 9-0 to rezone the property to a L-I light industrial district. "This is massive," Hilton said after the vote. "I still have to go back and get approval for a conditional use permit, but after this I think that will go fine." The property on Williams Street had previously been divided among various parcels, some of which were zoned for heavy industrial due to the prior use while others had reverted to residential zoning due to their lack of use over several years. Hilton said that the property will serve as his company's new headquarters, storing his vehicles and equipment and serving as a home base for himself and his eight employees. He said that no asphalt will be stored or made at the facility. Xpress is located on Henderson Drive in Lorain. During a previous battle over the future of the site in 2022, Council rejected a proposal from the previous owner of the site, Robin Kaufman, and a prospective buyer which would have rezoned the entire site to heavy industrial usage and convert it into a salvage yard. Prior to its closure, Bluestar had been operated by the Kaufman family for more than 130 years. Concerns from residents and a troubling EPA report in July 2022 led to Council rejecting that proposal and the site again appeared to be in limbo. In 2024, Hilton purchased the 12 parcels including the former Bluestar facility for $305,000. Hilton said he faced his own challenges in getting the project rezoned, placing the blame on Elyria's outdated zoning code, which the city is reviewing for an update. He said that the city administration helped him work through the complicated process. "I worked with the city and I have nothing but good things to say about (Mayor) Kevin Brubaker, Chief Building Official Darryl Farkas or City Manager Chris Schoenig," Hilton said. Hilton said that past concerns from residents about the state of the property were not unfounded, adding that there had even been people living in the building before he bought it. "The property was so bad, I mean so bad," he said. "There was garbage piled almost 3 feet high through the whole place, and we're talking about a 200,000-square-foot building, you know, 5 acres. … We came in and we have been out there constantly just cleaning, repainting, repairing — it took a lot." One of the major voices against the previous rezoning attempt was neighbor Tiffani Reedy, but she told Council during a public hearing prior to the vote that Hilton's ownership had seen a tremendous improvement in the state of the site. She spoke as a proponent for the rezoning. "Since he (Hilton) has been there, the place has started to look so much better," Reedy told Council. "There is paint on it, there's a light that's working that hasn't worked since it closed in November of 2019. We no longer have criminal types hanging out in the building, trying to glean every scrap of copper out of it and then hang out later. It's been really nice, and he's a respectful business owner. He works really well with the neighborhood, unlike the previous owner. So I just think he's a good fit." Reedy said that all the other neighbors she had spoken with felt the same way. Hilton said that working well with the neighbors had been a priority for him since he bought the site, partially because he was aware of the problems and concerns of the past. "I've been doing the best I can to work with them and provide any help I can," Hilton said, adding that he had already used some of his equipment to help neighbors do needed work. "I'm a part of the neighborhood, so I want to work with them and hear what they need. It's just being considerate and treating everyone how you want to be treated." Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.