Findlay mayor backs negotiated sale of downtown parcel to port authority for Dietz’s Brothers expansion; council and residents seek transparency

Mayor Mearn told council on Nov. 5 that Dietz’s Brothers (a nearly 70‑year downtown business) approached the city about purchasing a city-owned parcel so they can expand. The mayor said the proposed sale would proceed through the Blanchard Valley Port Authority, which the administration described as an appropriate vehicle for negotiating a sale to a specific local user when that use preserves community character. The purchase agreement would include payment for the city’s planned site work; the mayor estimated city labor for demolition would be roughly $10,000–$12,000 but said Ditez’s would cover that in the purchase price.

Council members raised procedural and policy questions. Several asked whether bypassing an open auction was appropriate when other parties have expressed interest in the parcel; one councilor cited a prior instance (2018) when a demolition and property disposal drawn controversy. Resident speakers also objected to the sales process and requested the city use an open-market auction to maximize price and transparency. Robin Walley (Westpark Block Watch) asked council to postpone decisions until the newly elected council takes office in 2026 and said owners of nearby properties had not been adequately consulted.

The administration defended the use of the port authority as a way to preserve a local employer and to ensure the parcel is used appropriately at the city’s gateway entrance. The mayor said other inquiries over the last two years included interest from a car dealership, a gym and a pallet wholesaler—uses the administration considered less desirable for a gateway parcel.

Council took first readings on ordinances authorizing sale agreements with the Blanchard Valley Port Authority; no final vote occurred at this meeting. Council agreed to refer two property matters (including the Main Cross Street parcel and the fire-station parcel) to the finance committee for further review; the finance committee agreed to meet the following week to analyze both properties and report back.

Clarifying details provided at the meeting included the mayor’s estimate of demolition labor costs ($10,000–$12,000) and the administration’s statement that the purchase price will reflect fair-market value and include site-work costs. Residents asked for a consolidated property list and for decisions to be delayed until the newly seated council could participate.