Medina Needs to Survey Untitled Land for Bridge Replacement

City must take legal action to secure ownership before bidding out $1.65 million project.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 5:07am

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A photorealistic studio still life featuring a surveyor's compass, a land deed document, and a small model of a bridge, arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic background to conceptually represent the abstract corporate strategy and legal processes required for infrastructure projects.A surveyor's tools and legal documents symbolize the complex processes municipalities must navigate to secure land ownership and move forward with critical infrastructure upgrades.Medina Today

The city of Medina, Ohio still needs to survey and secure ownership of a stretch of untitled land near the South Huntington Street bridge before it can move forward with a $1.65 million replacement project. The majority of the project's costs will be covered by a $1.57 million grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation's municipal bridge program.

Why it matters

Resolving the ownership of this untitled land is a critical step before Medina can proceed with the bridge replacement, which will improve infrastructure and traffic flow in the area. Untitled or unclear property ownership can often delay or derail public works projects.

The details

Medina's Law Director Greg Huber said a stretch of land off Champion Creek near the old Hawkins grocery store has no identified owner. The city will need to survey the land, determine its value, and go through a legal process to secure ownership through a 'quiet title action' before the bridge replacement can be bid out.

  • On April 13, the issue was discussed at a Medina finance committee meeting.
  • The city engineer estimates the total project cost at $1.65 million.

The players

Greg Huber

Medina's Law Director, who discussed the need to secure ownership of the untitled land.

Patrick Patton

Medina's City Engineer, who provided details on the project's estimated cost and funding.

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What they’re saying

“'Nobody is named of the owner of this stretch of riverbed. So, this will require a survey of the grounds and determining an estimate of its value. I will have to present council with an ordinance authorizing a quiet title action and appropriation action. That action will need to be filed with the common pleas court and money for the value of the property deposited with the common pleas court. That should secure the right to proceed with the bridge construction, but that is going to take a little time.'”

— Greg Huber, Medina Law Director

“'Our engineer's estimate for the cost of the project is $1.65 million and about 95 percent of that will be covered by a $1.57 million grant from the ODOT municipal bridge program. The city did pay for 100 percent of the engineering and design costs and also handled all of the easements necessary to move forward with this project.'”

— Patrick Patton, Medina City Engineer

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on whether to allow Medina to proceed with the quiet title action and appropriate the value of the untitled land.

The takeaway

Resolving unclear property ownership is a common challenge for municipalities undertaking infrastructure projects. Medina's diligence in surveying the land and going through the proper legal channels will allow them to move forward with this critical bridge replacement, despite the added time and expense.