MANSFIELD — When it comes to the future of the former Swan Cleaners property, the Richland County Land Reutilization Corporation (Land Bank) board has three options.
The land bank can demolish the building at 165 Park Ave. West and remove thousands of tons of soil from behind and below the building for just under $700,000; remove only an estimated 1,900 tons of soil from behind the property and clear the building of any asbestos for $460,000 to $470,000; or do nothing.
Land bank manager Amy Hamrick explained the options to the board Wednesday, following a phone call with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency gave the land bank permission to acquire the former dry cleaners.
The land bank is expected to take ownership of the property by the end of the month. It must own the property before Jan. 31 to qualify for the U.S. EPA Brownfields Clean Up Grant, which could award up to $500,000 for the remediation of environmental issues at the property.
In the grant, the land bank will pitch the $460,000 to $470,000 option, which land bank Director Bart Hamilton called the “best option,” assuming the grant is received. Further, he believes, there’s a better chance at earning the grant, if the proposal emphasizes redevelopment.
The land bank board has motioned for the property to be transferred to the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum after the potential cleanup.
The Little Buckeye Children’s Museum has anticipated a $75,000 to $100,000 investment to begin its own cleanup and basic renovations to the building, once it takes ownership, according to a letter from Executive Director Fred Boll.
The building has been called key in the growth of the museum and development of the Imagination District.
The museum proposed creating a multi-use facility in the space that would potentially include two retail spaces in the front of the building, and storage space and a dance studio on the second floor. That space would be used by the Renaissance Theatre, the museum’s partner in creating the Imagination District.
If the land bank does not receive the U.S. EPA Brownfields Clean Up Grant, it may need to consider the option to do nothing, at least temporarily, board member Tony Vero said.
The grant application process is competitive, Hamrick said. She estimated only 40 of 800 applicants would receive the grant, but she believes it’s worthwhile.
“That is the great thing about the U.S. EPA grant. They’ll sit down and do a phone conference with us letting us know what they did not like about this year’s grant, letting us know what we need to improve to reapply next year,” she said.
However, if the grant is received, the land bank will need to address some additional issues at its own expense. This includes cleaning out the building and removing and possibly replacing some of the windows, which have asbestos.
Further, the land bank will need to maintain ownership for at least one year.
“They want the indoor air to be monitored four times a year. They want four clean samples before they’ll give us a letter of no further action. So we’ll have to retain ownership of it in that year period of sampling,” Hamrick said.
The board pondered possible funding options for the window replacements, such as a grant from the Richland County Foundation or an agreement with Little Buckeye for reimbursement. The only suggested alternative is to board up the windows.
The Swan Cleaners building operated as a dry cleaners from 1946 through 2014. The Richland County Treasurer’s Office foreclosed on the property for unpaid taxes, and the property was offered for sale by Richland County Sheriff’s department on Oct. 13, 2017 and again on Oct. 27, 2017, but did not sell. Therefore, it was forfeited to the State of Ohio on Nov. 20, 2017.
The land bank has since kept tabs on the property and often visits the property.
Once taking ownership, Hamrick hopes to put out a notice for people to pick up any clothing that’s been left at Swan Cleaners, as many of the remaining clothes have tags on them, marking their owners. Clothing without owners might be donated.
Besides that, the papers and some office furniture will need to be removed from the building.
