A petition has been filed to annex a large tract of land near Columbiana which may soon be the home of a major development project.

Landowners hope to annex 183 acres of Fairfield Township near Cherry Fork Road into the city of Columbiana.  

According to Attorney Mark Huston who presented the petition to County Commissioners, the privately owned land is the subject of discussions between landowners and a private company.

Huston confirmed that a significant economic development project is being considered for the Cherry Fork site.

The Attorney Huston declined to reveal the identity of the company or nature of the proposed project; however, he described the anonymous company as a "global manufacturer" who is deciding whether to acquire the property and begin construction.

Other out-of-state sites are vying for the project, according to Huston who says the company is hoping to establish operations in Columbiana.

If the Columbiana site is chosen, construction would likely get underway in the late summer or fall.

Columbiana County Commissioner Mike Halleck could not release any project information other than that it is "not retail."  

Halleck expects to learn more information in about a week's time.