MANSFIELD — The Richland County Land Bank doesn’t appear interested in working with Skilken Gold on its Kingsgate Center Shopping Center property.
The Land Bank board of directors sent the City of Mansfield planning commission a letter Thursday that makes it clear the agency will not participate in efforts involving the former Kingsgate Cinema at 1290 Park Ave. West — unless Skilken Gold first donates it to the Land Bank.
Skilken Gold officials are expected to meet with the city planning commission on Tuesday at 3 p.m. to ask for a six-month extension to the city’s order that it demolish the former movie theater.
In an email on Sept. 30, Skilken Gold asked that the demolition, which has been ordered to be done by Dec. 4, be delayed until May 4, 2023, claiming it has a potential tenant for the property that has sat empty for two decades.
“We are in negotiations with a retailer that intends to renovate (1290 and 1300 Park Avenue buildings),” wrote Eric Elizondo, Skilken Gold’s senior vice president for operations.
In its letter Thursday, the Land Bank board told the planning commission it “really appreciates your dedication in assisting property owners in their pursuit to bring properties back up to code within the City of Mansfield.”
“While the Land Bank never discourages redevelopment of property, it was inquired of the Board about the Skilken Gold request for a second six-month extension on the City’s demolition order to demolish 1290 Park Avenue West.
“In response to that inquiry, the Land Bank’s Board of Directors on October 5, 2022, voted unanimously, with (Mansfield) Mayor Theaker and Jotika Shetty abstaining, stating the Land Bank will not apply for Grant funding or have any part in the financing of 1290 and 1300 Park Avenue West’s demolition without having the property donated to the Land Bank first,” the organization’s letter said.
Theaker and Shetty are planning commission members.
The wheels on the city’s demolition order began rolling with a Richland County Land Bank meeting in April. That’s when Skilken representatives expressed interest in the Land Bank applying for state demolition grant funds to help fund the work.
Skilken Gold presented a $490,000 proposal that would include demolishing both store fronts and converting the west side wall of the VOA store to an exterior wall.
The company expressed interest in applying for demolition grant funds through the Land Bank. Land bank board members, however, made it clear in April that the proposal would be a “non-starter” unless it included Skilken Gold forfeiting the property to the Land Bank.
That meeting, however, led to an inspection of the property by the city’s codes and permits department — which led to the demolition order.
Marc Milliron, the city’s building and codes manager, reiterated during a planning commission meeting in May that the building at the west end of the Kingsgate Shopping Center needs to come down.
“We did complete a thorough inspection of it. We did find that the structure does need to be demolished. It’s condition is definitely beyond its saving point, depending on how much funding they would want to put in there,” Milliron told commission members five months ago.
He said 1300 Park Ave. West, once part of the former J.C. Penny’s store, doesn’t need to be demolished. He said it needs a new roof, but structurally is “still pretty decent.”
At that time, the commission granted Skilken Gold’s request to extend a 30-day demolition order for six months.
In May, Ken Gold, chief growth officer for Skilken Gold, told Richland Source his company was looking for new tenants.
“Everybody has to be looking. We have a team that looks at all of our shopping centers around the country. We are always thinking and planning about the best ways to keep these shopping centers relevant in the world that exists today,” he said at the time.
Richland County Commissioner Tony Vero, a Land Bank board member, sent Skilken Gold an email of his own on Tuesday, saying he planned to attend the planning commission meeting to oppose the demolition extension request.
“I actively participated in the discussion with Skilken|Gold representatives in early May when they presented a proposal that was quite unfavorable to the Land Bank, and the county as a whole,” Vero wrote to Elizondo.
“As you can imagine, a property sitting vacant for over two decades (deteriorating to the point of demolition) in our county’s largest city on arguably its most major thoroughfare is of particular import to the community,” Vero wrote.
He asked if Skilken Gold would be willing to:
— produce any documents with the necessary redactions showing that said retailer exists along with their intentions for the property; and/or
— voluntarily place the monies needed for demolition and abatement in escrow.
“I would be more than willing to sign any (non-disclosure agreement) as legally permissible by the Ohio Revised Code to accommodate request No. 1. Please advise on such requests, and I look forward to seeing you at planning commission on Tuesday,” Vero wrote.
As of Friday afternoon, Vero told Richland Source Skilken Gold had not replied to his email.
