MANSFIELD — The Richland County Land Bank wants to use $1.4 million left over from the demolition of the former Ocie Hill Community Center to tackle five other projects.
Among demolitions planned are buildings on property formerly owned by Denver Roof at 400-424 Park Ave. East, purchased in 2022 by Goyal Industries and Cement Products.
The two companies purchased the land and its huge dilapidated buildings for $160,000 during an auction after Roof died. The companies plan to clean up and divide the properties between them for redevelopment.
“We paid well above what this land was worth,” Jay Goyal said during a Land Bank board meeting in April 2022.
“We had heard the land was appraised at about $100,000 and we think we may have gone about $60,000 above market value when purchasing it. We did it because we thought it was important to get it cleaned up for our interests,” he said.
The two companies, operating together as 400 Park Avenue LLC, will provide the $250,000 local match needed for the estimated $1 million demolition.
Goyal Industries is at 382 Park Ave. East and Cement Products is at 389 Park Ave. East.
It’s one of five proposals the Land Bank approved Wednesday to send to the Ohio Department of Development.
The Land Bank had received a $2 million state grant to demolish the former Ocie Hill site and only needed about $600,000 to do the work.
Other projects approved in the grant request being sent to the state were:
— $225,000 for cost overruns needed for the former Westinghouse properties on the city’s east side. The 25-percent matching funds ($75,000) for the $300,000 request will come from the Land Bank, City of Mansfield and Richland County commissioners.
Land Bank manager Amy Hamrick said she had spoken to officials with R&D Excavation of Crestline, which is handling the $4 million project.
She said the company expects to file a change order seeking additional funds due to unexpected finds under the 13-acre “concrete jungle” found on the property adjoining the former “A” building it has demolished.
— $394,500 for the removal of buried material at the former YMCA site at 455 Park Avenue West, a building site that was demolished in 2019. The City of Mansfield will provide $131,500 from its PRIDE funds to provide the 25 percent match toward the $526,000 project.
Hamrick said the debris was supposed to be four feet underground in a project funded by city PRIDE funds.
“It is nowhere near four feet. It’s on the surface,” she said.
Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker, a member of the Land Bank board, defended the decision to bury the material that was made during the initial demolition.
“It was left buried for cost purposes to make sure that we had enough money to cover the cost to do it,” Theaker said of the former three-story building that was erected in the 1950s.
“It was an eyesore sitting there and we were getting more complaints for the building and the individuals that were in there either starting fires and doing all kinds of things,” Theaker said.
Hamrick, who said the former YMCA pool is likely intact underground, said the land can not be redeveloped until the debris is removed.
— $24,000 for the demolition of a structure at 89 Wood St., a home known as the “Daisy Thomas House.” The city will supply $8,000 in PRIDE funds for the $32,000 project.
The historic brick building is said to be first home in Richland County built and owned by African-American residents. The building has been condemned by the city and has been a topic of discussion at the Land Bank in recent years.
Hamrick said the Land Bank is working on an agreement with state and local historical societies to gain approval for the demolition.
“(The state) agrees that the building is a hazard and they agree that if no one steps forward (to rehabilitate it), they’re not going to oppose it,” Hamrick said.
She said the Land Bank will develop a mitigation plan to document the building and its history and will also consider placing a historic marker on the site once the building is demolished.
— $25,476.75 to demolish a residence at 55 Second St. in Shelby. The Land Bank will provide $8,492.25 as the needed 25-percent match for the $33,969 project.
