Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission clears downtown demolition at 428 N. 10th Street after economic analysis; developers to retain portions of façade where feasible
Summary
Lucas County and the developer won Planning Commission approval for demolition of a building at 428 North 10th Street after the county's economic analysis found renovation was not viable; the commission and historic stakeholders urged retention of as much of the masonry wall as possible and required infill treatments for window openings.
The City of Toledo Planning Commission approved site-plan and downtown-overlay review for demolition and site improvements at 428 North 10th Street, accepting an appraisal and economic evaluation submitted by Lucas County that concluded renovation of the existing structure would not yield a reasonable return.
Jeff Nowak, director of facilities for the Lucas County Board of Commissioners, told commissioners the county reviewed renovation and performed an appraisal and concluded that demolition is the most viable path. Downtown Toledo Development Corporation representatives said the project team will preserve as much of the existing masonry wall as feasible and will infill former window openings with decorative iron fencing to prevent unauthorized access.
Edward Hill, a resident and participant in historic-preservation discussions, urged more extensive efforts to advertise the property for sale and commission an independent appraisal and said the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Paul Toth of Downtown Toledo Development Corporation said the redevelopment strategy deliberately used state and federal historic-district designations (but not a local designation) to avoid local demolition prohibitions that can slow redevelopment; the redevelopment group said saving entire structures was not economically feasible but that preserving portions of the façade is a priority.
Historic-district reviewers earlier had asked the project team to try to conserve as much of the wall as possible. Project architect and consultant testimony detailed an approach to retain the masonry wall to the point of a color change in the masonry and to fill the vertical window openings with decorative infill that matches proposed fencing.
Both the major site plan (SPR2924) and the downtown overlay district review (DOD424) were approved unanimously; staff included conditions requiring documentation of salvageable materials and guidance on how the retained wall elements should be stabilized and integrated into the new site work. The project will proceed to permitting and the commission record notes that any redesign that changes the plan materially would return to the commission.
