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Clean slate in cities
By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Monday, May 25, 2009
In Barberton, a couple of century-old factory buildings have stood vacant for a decade while officials of this landlocked city dreamed of economic development opportunities.
In Cuyahoga Falls, 30 dead acres abutting a lush national forest still remind neighbors of a 1960s trap-shooting range that poisoned the land with lead shot.
But this year, those old buildings are coming down and that toxic soil will be removed thanks to state grants awarded for ''brownfield'' cleanup projects.
Akron and Canton also are receiving Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund money to give new life to old industrial properties.
Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls were the only two grant recipients asked to make their case in person during the competitive process, Barberton Planning Director Diane Sheridan said.
''We went before the board in Columbus and they asked some tough questions, but luckily we all got approved,'' she said.
As a matter of fact, about $8 million of the $20 million handed out by the Ohio Department of Development is destined for Summit and Stark counties.
''Brownfield redevelopment allows our communities to reclaim and improve their properties, making property that [wasn't viable] ready for new development and spurring economic growth,'' said Lisa Patt-McDaniel, interim director of the department of development.
Here are some details:
Barberton
The city will get more than $1.5 million to demolish two former Pittsburgh Plate Glass buildings at 888 Wooster Road W.
The first known use of the property was by Columbia Chemical Co., later known as Pittsburgh Plate Glass, which began industrial operations before 1904 and continued to occupy the site until the late 1990s.
Sheridan said the property is privately owned, but once the buildings are down and the environmental cleanup is complete, the Barberton Community Development Corp. will spend about $335,000 to acquire the land.
''The BCDC will work with the city to aggressively market the site for some light industrial,'' Sheridan said. Target industries include precision metals machining and fabrication, energy and chemical research and development, polymer product manufacturing, and warehousing/distributing.
Cuyahoga Falls
The city received grants for
two projects.
A $1.8 million grant will fund environmental remediation of farmland that was turned into a trap-shooting range in the 1960s and early '70s.
''Fifteen years of clay pigeons and lead [shot] contaminated the surface so that nothing will grow there,'' said Jennifer Syx, the city's deputy director of development.
The 30-acre site and an on-site pond that was also contaminated are on the north end of State Road, adjacent to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Once the land is restored, the land will be used for residential construction.
The city will also receive $2 million to demolish and recover property at the former State Road Shopping Center. The 25-acre area will be redeveloped into a mixed-use center.
Akron
The city is getting nearly $1 million to demolish and clean up the land at the former Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s Building 116.
Built in the early 1900s and used by Goodyear to store and manufacture rubber products, the vacant building contains environmental hazards and is considered to be seriously deteriorated and structurally unsound.
The city has said it will work with development partner IRG Rubber City LLC to convert the property for new manufacturing or commercial space.
Canton
Nearly $1.7 million will help the city clean up land that once held Canton Drop Forge and the Canton Iron & Metal Co.
The companies, which occupied the land from 1914 through 1970, were razed in the late 1980s.
Once the environmental cleanup is done, White Motors LLC plans to invest more than $50 million to develop approximately 200,000 square feet of corporate headquarters office space and 35,000 square feet of first floor retail and restaurant space.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
In Barberton, a couple of century-old factory buildings have stood vacant for a decade while officials of this landlocked city dreamed of economic development opportunities.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 04:12 AM, 05/25/2009
The Other paper reports this as privately owned land that may be sold to a developer. Is that 2 million repayed back to the state once sold?
"In Cuyahoga Falls, 30 dead acres abutting a lush national forest still remind neighbors of a 1960s trap-shooting range that poisoned the land with lead shot."
Akron, OH
Posted 07:59 AM, 05/25/2009
I wonder when IRG will spend some of their own money on many of the projects they plan on developin' here in Akron.
All we read about is how much the taxpayers keep spendin' to develope or clean up property the developer will own.
Stow, OH
Posted 11:08 AM, 05/25/2009
If you want to be a little creative with your posts on such forums as Ohio.com
or Craiglist.com with: Hyperlinks,
BOLD, Italic and the underlined text which, is not to be confused with the horizontal rule then click here for the cheat sheet
These are just a few common modifications that may interest you and the forum must be HTML friendly as these are HTML codes/tags.
Please overlook duplicates of this entry as it is in other posts as well.
Cuyahoga Falls, Oh
Posted 11:14 AM, 05/25/2009
The blight area on state road will be the new Portage Crossing
Orrville, Oh
Posted 03:53 PM, 05/25/2009
Reality demands state scam Fathers disqualified for affirmative action with white skin, Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and America’s grandchildren’s children. To fund state GIVING $8 million to Summit and Stark County derived from wages or independent business profit!
Posted 05:13 PM, 05/25/2009
Looks like Woosters Village Idiot is against reclaiming factory sites for new business.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 05:55 AM, 05/26/2009
$1 million more to IRG's / Mayor Don's hopeless Goodyear project for a building 116 cleanup? Didn't they figure that into the $900 million project in the first place? I keep waiting for that 2nd shoe to drop where the only way to make the Goodyear Project happen is an increase in county sales tax to pay for it.
Akron, , OH
Posted 06:59 AM, 05/26/2009
The city likes to work with everyone! Excluding the majority small taxpayer. It is what it is!!!
