On Sept. 11, 2025, Akron City Council held a special meeting and public hearing on an ordinance seeking a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the former Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Plant 1 at 1200 Firestone Parkway.

Mike Antonucci, a staff member speaking for the city, told council the building ‘‘was listed as an historic Akron historic landmark in 02/2013’’ and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Antonucci said the city is appealing an Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission decision that denied a full demolition certificate and that the administration is now seeking council approval to demolish the entire structure.

Travis Capper, the city engineer, described a third‑party feasibility process that looked at three options: demolish the whole structure, keep the front two wings, or keep only the clock tower. ‘‘You could keep the front bay,’’ Capper said, but structural reviewers reported ‘‘a lot of things were just honestly unknown,’’ and engineers recommended against retaining only the clock tower. Capper said public bids returned a roughly $5 million difference between demolishing the whole building and attempting to retain the front bays.

Sean Volman of the city’s economic development department reviewed the property’s acquisition history and regulatory limits. Volman said the city acquired the site in 2013 as part of an agreement tied to Bridgestone’s new technical center, and that environmental covenants from the Ohio EPA restrict uses on the site, eliminating ‘‘residential, school, daycare, hospital, or residential care facilities’’ as options. Volman also described prior attempts to market the property and said developers who toured the whole complex concluded the building was ‘‘not feasible’’ as presented.

Members of the public urged different courses. Mark Smith, a registered architect and member of the Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission, said the commission denied the demolition application in part because it saw ‘‘little evidence of a concerted effort to market the potential project’’ and urged marketing, tax‑credit outreach and environmental assessments before demolition. ‘‘At the very least … a pro forma is put together in a marketing package suggesting the possibilities to the potential developers and run with it for a year or two,’’ Smith said.

Several neighborhood and preservation advocates urged delay and study. Jeff Wilhite, who identified himself as a member of Summit County Council, asked council to ‘‘pump the brakes’’ and said the clock tower is an ‘‘iconic’’ neighborhood landmark. Dana Noel, a contractor and adaptive‑reuse specialist, questioned parts of the feasibility reporting, saying one consultant ‘‘says that the building is in fairly good condition’’ and arguing that some demolition scope could be value‑engineered.

Others supported demolition. Steve Charles, a retired Bridgestone employee, said he has seen the structure ‘‘in really bad shape’’ and called the $5 million difference ‘‘not worth it’’ if the city is asked to fund long‑term preservation. James (Jim) Loveman of Akron Phoenix Development Corporation (affiliated with Amerimar Realty) said his firm supports the previously approved plan to remove the rear portions while retaining the front wings and urged that a right‑sized, 200,000‑square‑foot front portion would retain historic tax‑credit eligibility and be more attractive to developers.

Speakers also proposed alternatives: Dr. Daniel Van Epps of the Northeast Ohio Regional Improvement Corporation proposed repurposing the structure for power generation, battery storage and a data‑center related use; others proposed community, cultural, or mixed‑use scenarios. Multiple speakers said historic tax credits and brownfield grants had not been sufficiently pursued or documented in the city’s outreach.

City staff provided engineering and bid figures in the hearing. The city cited a total frontage/front‑wing area of roughly 240,300 square feet for the Plant 1 complex and said the building has been vacant for approximately 10 years. The administration reported a low bid to demolish the entire structure of about $7,347,000 and a low bid to separate and secure the front bays and demolish the rear three bays of about $12,349,000, a difference the city summarized as roughly $5,000,000.

Council did not vote on the demolition ordinance at the hearing. Council President Somerville and several members repeatedly called for more study and community engagement; Councilman Kammer (Ward 7) said he ‘‘will not support this legislation’’ as presented and urged additional outreach. Councilman Fusco said he would ‘‘pull the committee’’ to refer the item for further review. The public hearing was then closed and the meeting adjourned by voice vote with no objections.

The hearing left several outstanding, council‑level questions: whether the county or private donors could help offset preservation costs; the status and deadline tied to a state demolition grant the city has received; and whether architectural elements—particularly the clock faces—could be salvaged and stored if demolition proceeds. City staff said they are negotiating the state grant terms and are discussing salvage options with contractors.

The item will move next to committee for further review; council did not record a final vote on the certificate of appropriateness at this meeting.