Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Cleanup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lorain City Council approves release of claims to allow cleanup, demolition of Saint Joe site
Summary
Council approved an ordinance to release the city’s claims on a property owned by Anh Y Khan so it can move to foreclosure or transfer to the Lorain County Land Bank for asbestos mitigation, demolition of the parking garage and site cleanup; engineering staff said work could start this summer if legal access is secured.
Lorain City Council approved an ordinance to release the city’s claims on a property owned by Anh Y Khan, clearing a legal obstacle so the parcel can proceed toward foreclosure or transfer to the Lorain County Land Bank for environmental cleanup and demolition.
Kate Golden of the city’s engineering department told council that the city has worked with multiple state and county agencies on the property since 2022. "So this property has been challenging, we will say," Golden said, and added that the administration has coordinated with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio EPA, the county prosecutor and the Lorain County Land Bank.
Golden outlined a phased approach: "As soon as we have legal access to the property, we can start that process. I do expect that the work will start this summer," she said. The first work will include mitigation of asbestos-containing material on and inside structures, followed by demolition of above-grade structures identified for removal — specifically the parking garage and an adjacent partially demolished lab building. Golden said reuse potential remains for other attached buildings, so those were not included in the demolition plan.
City staff explained that overburden material from the Stoworks site will be used to fill basement depressions at the Saint Joe site, and that the fill will be capped with two feet of clean material so the redeveloped parcels can be used for commercial or mixed-use purposes. Golden emphasized the projects are linked: "We need both of these projects to work together in order for both of them to be successful."
Council did not identify a dissent on the final passage; the clerk recorded that the ordinance passed unanimously. The ordinance also declares an emergency to expedite the transfer and remediation process.
Next steps include securing legal access to the property, completing asbestos abatement plans, and beginning demolition and site work under contracts the city says are already in place for professional services. The council did not set a specific completion date for reuse or sale of the parcels.
