MANSFIELD — The former Westinghouse “A” building is apparently beginning to demolish itself — and it’s going to cost local taxpayers another $18,538.
The walls of the decaying, five-story structure at 200 Fifth St. are expected to officially come tumbling down on Dec. 19 in what’s been dubbed the “Westinghouse Demolition Extravaganza. It’s expected to take six to 10 weeks to demolish the mammoth structure.
But before that happens, a bit of Westinghouse is scheduled to be preserved by the removal of an original, mammoth brick and stone doorway.
The work that began this week by WR Restoration through an agreement among the city, the Richland County Land Bank, Richland County Historical Society, Mansfield’s Historic Preservation Commission, Downtown Mansfield Inc. and the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office
However, on Nov. 23, a large section of exterior brick pulled away and fell from between the fourth and sixth floors along the corner of East Fifth Street and the railroad tracks. The bricks fell as asbestos removal was ongoing inside the building, an effort that finished Dec. 1.
Engineer Barry Neumann inspected the site and told Land Bank manager Amy Hamrick he would not be surprised to see more bricks falling down in other places.
“Barry had actually inspected the building 10 to 12 years ago and the brick was all pulling away back then. He had made recommendations on how to fix it and they never did,” Hamrick said.
Hamrick said one of those places was over the doorway scheduled for removal. She contacted officials with WR Restoration to ask what steps they would need to take to protect workers during their efforts.
The company’s response was to supply and erect a heavy-duty protective scaffolding device with solid beams, planks and plywood over the doorway scheduled to be removed. The entire span is 26 feet in width.
The work required a $18,538 change order in the company’s contract with the Land Bank, which the board approved Wednesday. Hamrick said she had been told county commissioners would likely approve the additional funds.
The “A” building demolition is part of a $4 million public/private effort that ultimately saw the Richland County Land Bank take ownership of the “A” building; the adjoining 13-acre concrete slab; and a nearby vacant building, most recently owned by Electrolux, based in North Carolina.
The “A” building and other former Westinghouse properties have largely sat idle since the manufacturer closed its sprawling local operations in 1990.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine approved a $3 million state grant for the project in April. The City of Mansfield and Richland County commissioners have each agreed to contribute $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, as well.
Once the “A” building is down and the other sites cleared, decisions can be made regarding the future of the site.
“We will look at all options to appropriately utilize the former Westinghouse (site) once the demolition of the A building and nearly 14 acres of concrete adjacent to the building is complete,” said Richland County Commission Tony Vero, a member of the Land Bank board.
“What that might be is contingent upon any unforeseen issues discovered in the demolition. We are working with a large concrete building and a slab that may be 6 feet deep in some places. There is no telling for certain what we may find until the process begins.”
