GRAFTON, Ohio – Grafton Mayor Charles L. Duke Jr. will reveal results from a village-wide survey and host a public town hall discussion on the future of Beacon Park, featuring approximately 650 acres of developable, village-owned land. Beacon Park, located in the northeast portion of the village, was acquired from the State of Ohio in 2019. Thirty-three acres are committed to solar energy production under a long-term agreement.
Interest in most of the remaining land has been strong and has come from a range of industries. To manage that interest, the Village of Grafton has retained Kleinfelder Inc. to assist with economic development inquiries and the Toledo-based Shumaker law firm to handle legal review. Village officials acknowledge working with the county, and multiple proposals — including interest from data center developers — have been presented, but no decisions have been made.
“We’ve got to gather enough information — especially for incoming members of Village Council — to make wise and logical decisions,” Duke said. “The first step is to poll, and the second step is to talk about it. That’s exactly what we’ll do.” Duke said one purpose of the town hall is to remove the technical language often used by developers and explain, in plain terms, what is being proposed and what it could mean for the community.
The town hall will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, at the Historic Grafton School, 1111 Elm Street. Duke said the location was chosen intentionally. “I wanted it there because it’s important and nostalgic for many in Grafton,” Duke said. “What Carlee has accomplished with the “Grafton Ghost Light Theater” there is extraordinary, and it’s important to talk about our future in a place that harkens to our heritage.”
At the meeting, village officials will moderate a panel representing both those in favor of development and those opposed to it. The panel discussion will be followed by brief remarks from Mayor Duke and an open town hall for residents’ questions and comments. The poll results aim to reflect Village of Grafton resident opinion and submissions will close Jan. 30, 2026. Village staff will then analyze the results, verify residency, remove duplicate responses, and weigh the results accordingly before determining next steps.
“I have a healthy grain of skepticism about this site being developed,” Duke said. “Council and I need feedback from residents and clear explanations from developers of ‘what’s in it for Grafton, before any decisions are made.” The poll can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BeaconPark and on the village Facebook and website, www.villageofgrafton.org