Like the town square’s gazebo that holds over 300 weddings each year, the Legacy Hotel is forecasted to be another distinct destination in Medina. In addition to a pompous lodging experience for incoming travelers, it vaunts an event center, coffee shop, upscale restaurant and rooftop bar for residents to enjoy during a night on the town. “This is the place you’ll go for an anniversary dinner or to celebrate a family member’s graduation,” says developer Jason Stevenson, CEO of Autonomy Capital Group.
Consistent with the city’s Victorian-esque architecture, the building will be a continuation of tradition and an ode to the community. Originally named “Hotel Medina,” Stevenson changed that title, wanting something more descriptive than prescriptive.. “The more I explained to people what this project was, the word ‘legacy’ kept resurfacing,” he says.
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(Courtesy MPG Architects)
Medina finds itself in a space neither latching on to Cleveland or Akron, so efforts like Legacy Hotel gain support from the close-knit community for funding projects and foundations in local management, investors, constructors and vendors.
This people-focused aspect is especially resonant for Stevenson, whose family has been in Medina for about 150 years and has worked various jobs in the city. “It’s not even that I just have deep roots here; it’s like it’s in my blood,” says Stevenson.
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Estimated to open at the end of 2025, the long-awaited establishment will emulate a surrealness for those who have envisioned it all along. “Of course we are looking forward to opening day. But what I find more rewarding is day two, day three, day four,” Stevenson says, “when the reality of it has settled in and the quietness is satisfying.” True to Stevenson’s words, Legacy Hotel’s story isn’t going to be about the building, but rather, about the people in and around it.
(Courtesy MPG Architects)
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