MANSFIELD — The sale of Mansfield Speedway has sparked an online frenzy this week.
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver and Medina County native Matt Tifft recently purchased the 180-acre property from the Milliron Foundation.
“We want to make it so that we’re doing something that’s never been seen at a short track before and create world-class entertainment right here in Mansfield,” Tifft told Richland Source earlier this week.
Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry told City Council on Tuesday that the deal had not been in the works all that long.
“It’s going to be a substantial investment in Mansfield for sure,” she said. “(Tifft) wants to really make it more than just racing,” Perry said.
“I think he’s got some great ideas and the backing that he needs to do this, which is great.”
Tifft and the mayor have not spoken directly yet, Perry said Tuesday night, but she knows he’s been working with the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development, among others.
MORE ON MANSFIELD SPEEDWAY’S NEW OWNER
Main Street project update
Perry said she spent about three and a half hours Tuesday visiting the ongoing construction along Main Street.
There have been several issues regarding utilities that have emerged throughout the corridor improvement project, she said, including an unknown gas line discovery Monday near Relax, It’s Just Coffee.
Construction officials have said they have encountered century-old surprises under the street.
Those underground “surprises” involve various buried storm sewers, sanitary sewers, gas lines, utility lines and wires that are not necessarily on anyone’s maps of the street, according to Ted Wellman, area manager for Kokosing Construction, which was awarded the overall project.
“A lot of things that weren’t supposed to be there, extra services … unknown … not sure what this line … not sure what that line is …. a lot of maybe some old electric communication lines, but engineers work around these,” Wellman said during a public meeting in February.
“We’ve been doing a lot of potholing to try and find those unknowns before we get there,” he said.
Perry specifically thanked Columbia Gas for its quick response to Monday’s situation.
“Yesterday, unbeknownst to anyone, Kokosing lifted the lid off of the sandstone sidewalk in front of Relax and popped open an unknown gas line and a waterline,” Perry said. “It could have been a bad situation.
“Columbia Gas got there within 30 minutes and got it all taken care of.”
Work on the $19.3 million Main Street Corridor Improvement Project began in February in downtown Mansfield. The 20-month project is scheduled for completion in October 2026.
Perry reemphasized the need to encourage people to continue supporting local downtown businesses throughout the project’s duration. Despite a large presence of machinery and intermittent road closures, most businesses continue to operate on normal hours.
Caution should be exercised when traveling near construction workers, but downtown is still accessible to shop, eat and support.
“We are talking a little bit with Downtown Mansfield (Inc.) about how can we help businesses through this,” the mayor said.
Mansfield Community Improvement Corporation
Mansfield is in the first stages of establishing its own Community Improvement Corporation.
A CIC can establish public-private partnerships, serve as an administrative agent for grant applications and issue bonds with approval from city council.
Several communities within Richland County currently have a CIC, including Shelby, Lexington and most recently Ontario.
Perry said the city is working with Bricker Graydon, a Columbus-based law firm, to get paperwork completed. The mayor hopes to begin selecting board members with council either later this month or early July.
