Demolition of Macy's building has begun

LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The demolition of the Macy’s building at the Lima Mall has begun, marking the end of an architectural icon that has stood on the Allen County landscape since the 1970s.

Dozens of state and local officials gathered to commemorate the $1.3 million Brownfield Remediation Grant that is funding the removal of the 54-year-old structure.  There is no confirmed timeline for when the tower itself will be taken down.

This project is the 264th undertaken by the Allen County Land Bank and its largest to date. The state has provided millions of dollars in brownfield grants to aid redevelopment efforts across Ohio, including in Allen County.

“We made sure that a certain amount of that money was reserved for the smaller counties, because typically these development dollars end up in the six or eight biggest counties in the state,” said Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R). “So we’ve been able to do a number of projects around West Central Ohio because of that. Now, this is a pretty dramatic example.”

Allen County Auditor and Land Bank director Rachael Gilroy said the project is expected to take several weeks.

“We’re returning it to just ground, to just a stone gravel lot, and that will pave the way for the base, for Target to be prepared and ready for them to build,” Gilroy said.

Shawn Carvin, executive director of the Ohio Land Bank Association, highlighted the importance of land banks in community redevelopment.

“The fact that land banks can be nimble and can address the community’s needs and move with those needs has been what’s been able to be the biggest impact for our communities,” Carvin said.

Currently, 70 of Ohio’s 88 counties have an established land bank. Gilroy expects the demolition to be completed in a few weeks. Speaker Huffman also noted that the new state budget, set to be released Tuesday April 1, will include additional brownfield remediation grants to assist communities with redevelopment projects.