MANSFIELD — The Richland County Land Bank board has approved 12 properties for demolition by the end of June.
Richland County Land Bank manager Amy Hamrick announced Wednesday meeting that the land bank has received state funding to demolish six properties through a lead remediation program, which frees up previously allocated funding allowing for six more demolitions.
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency will grant the land bank up to $25,000 per property for demolition and lead remediation through its Lead Initiative Program.
All six properties set to be demolished are land-bank owned and contain pre-1978 housing units. They include addresses on Franklin, Reed, Bowman, Wayne and Newman streets.
The land bank board voted to accept the funds and go forward with the demolitions, even if the City of Mansfield can’t cover the extra costs.
Mansfield finance director Linn Steward said there would need to be a moratorium on spending PRIDE demolition funds for the next couple of months, based on the city’s revised estimated revenue.
Bart Hamilton, Richland County treasurer and land bank chairman, said the city is tightening its belt due to COVID-19-related revenue losses.
“(Steward) is trying to be very cautious and I don’t blame her,” Hamilton said. “We don’t know what the future’s going to hold with sales tax and income tax.”
Nevertheless, he expects the land bank will have access to the funds again soon, since they are earmarked specifically for demolition.
“They can’t be used for payroll or anything else but demolition, so I think this is going to get cleared up fairly quickly,” he said.
The land bank is estimating the demolition costs for the six properties will exceed what it receives from the Lead Initiative by about $22,500, plus an extra $10,000 in additional remediation costs.
After Hamilton insisted the land bank has the funds to cover the cost, even if the city’s PRIDE funds don’t come in on time, Richland County Commissioner Marilyn John made a motion that the land bank move forward with the project.
“If we have the money to do it irregardless of Mansfield, why wouldn’t we?” John said.
The six additional demolition projects are on Park Avenue East, Cedar, Carl, North Benton, West Fifth and Lind streets.
Hamrick also informed the board that during the clean-up of the former Swan Cleaners property, structural damage was found along the northwest wall of the structure. J.R. Rice is currently reviewing repair estimates.
“We’ve got a lot more work to do,” Hamrick said. “There’s a possibility that there’s quite a bit of money we have to put into this building yet.”
