Crews with Complete Demolition Services have been working for just over two months to tear down the 201,000-square-foot building. As demolition continues, materials such as concrete and metal are being separated for recycling.
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The project was made possible in part through Ohio’s Brownfield Remediation Program, which provides grants to support the removal of structures containing hazardous substances. The Macy’s building met the criteria for the program, and Allen County received $1.3 million in state funding for the demolition. The project is being led by the Allen County Land Bank.
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.
A building on the campus of Bluffton University for over 100 years will be demolished next year. The university received a grant from the Allen County Land Bank to demolish Berky Hall, a building that was built in 1914. The building served many purposes over the years and was in use until the end of the fall 2023 semester last year. With the addition of the Knowlton Science Center in 2023, Berky Hall has been vacant on the Bluffton campus and now gives the university the ability to use the space in more impactful ways.
The Allen County Land Bank says that the 2023 budget could allow them to move forward with their home improvement project, where residents can contact the land bank and request help in repairing parts of their homes. The land bank also says that this year could see positives when it comes to funding other projects in the local area.
The land bank is now in possession of the property at 138 East Wayne Street and it is in total disrepair. Because of its location in downtown Lima as a "historic" district, they had to approach the City of Lima's Design Review Board to get permission to tear it down. The board approved the request and the structure will come down.
The Allen County Land Bank met with the Allen County Commissioners to talk about their proposal. They are requesting a half a million dollars the American Rescue Plan Act fund for the program. The federal government identified residential areas in parts of Lima where the Coronavirus had a more financial impact and said the ARPA funds could qualify to help with roof repairs, plumbing work, and new windows.
Every year, Vantage Career Center carpentry students build a house for their lab. This year, the lot was donated to them by the county Land Bank. The space formerly contained a blighted structure. Now, it is the future site of a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house built almost entirely by the high school students.
Tension in the land bank meeting after the City of Lima sent a letter requesting Allen County elaborate on their plans for a section of Kibby Street.