MEDINA, Ohio – The city is looking to make improvements to areas of the historic district where slips and falls have become commonplace.

Services Director Nino Piccoli recently asked the Finance Committee to increase the city’s spending on Rocco Masonry by $20,000. He explained that Rocco Masonry does concrete work throughout the city, but that extra $20,000 would be specifically for work in the plaza.

“It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while now in the square,” Piccoli said. “If you remember, the bluestone was removed from the curves years ago because trucks were going up the curves. Likewise, there are many sandstone areas in front of many businesses. There are about 68 of them and there have been issues with slips and falls. So we are looking to remove these areas of sandstone and replace them with concrete, as they are now a tripping hazard.

Picolli said the project would include removing about half of those sandstone areas and replacing them with concrete.

“There are some areas where the sandstone is already gone and it’s just an engine bed, but I think everyone agrees that it needs to be replaced for safety reasons” , he said. “Many entrepreneurs did not even want to look at this project, because it is a project that must be carried out methodically. Plywood will need to be placed in front of the building’s windows to prevent glass from breaking.