Planning committee advances demolition of Kenmore Annex and Rankin Elementary

The Akron City Council planning committee voted to advance demolition work on two former school properties and placed the projects on the consent agenda during its meeting.

Mister Luddl, Department of Development staff, described the Kenmore Annex at 350 Perris Avenue and said, "The Kenmore Annex is at 350 Perris Avenue over by Summit Lake. ... With this project, we will demo those 2 buildings. We will remove all parking lots, all sidewalks, any hard surface. The contractor will be responsible for grading, retopsoil, and reseeding this project and preparing it for another agreement we have of AMHA." He added, "The cost, the estimated cost on this 1 is 671,000 and it is in the capital budget." Staff said the city applied for state demolition funding that requires a 25% match and that AMHA will pay the match so the city "should not be out of pocket for this." Bids are due in a couple of weeks, and staff said demolition is expected "late February or early March."

On Rankin Elementary, the clerk read an ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into contracts after public advertising for bids for the school's demolition. Mister Ludlow, Department of Development staff, said the original Rankin building was constructed in 1926 and described the scope: "They'll be responsible for all hard surface, all buildings, the old playground. Everything will be removed, and then the site will be reseeded. I've topsoiled and reseeded for future development." He gave the estimated cost: "On this 1, the estimated cost is 804,000." Bids for Rankin were described as timed similarly to the Kenmore project.

Council members asked how Rankin was selected for demolition and whether it was privately owned. Staff said the city applied for state funding in mid‑2023 and could not include Goodrich in that application because the city lacked demolition authority for Goodrich at the time; Goodrich is included in the capital budget for 2025. In response to Councilwoman Amobian, staff confirmed Rankin is privately owned and said the city "will attempt to, collect our match, as an assessment on the property." The match was stated as "25 percent," which council members characterized as roughly "$200,000" for the Rankin project.

Committee members asked staff to assemble a report on the total demolition costs the city has borne to date; staff agreed to pull that information. Planning staff also said they have discussed potential future reuse for the Rankin site with Councilwoman Davis and "...we can, think about this as as an attractive site for, for future development and position it."

Both demolition items were placed on the consent agenda; members moved and seconded the consent motion and approved the consent items by voice vote.

Notes: State demolition funding cited in the meeting requires projects to be completed by April, per staff; the city said it will front costs and seek reimbursement from state funding and from AMHA for the local match. Exact vote tallies and the names of the mover and seconder were not specified in the transcript.