MANSFIELD — Two Mansfield properties are one step closer to a clean slate.
Mansfield City Council on Tuesday approved spending around $272,000 in PRIDE taxes to help fund two brownfield remediation efforts — both of which the city is collaborating on with the Richland County Land Bank.
Council approved $91,868.35 as matching funds used by the Land Bank in seeking state brownfield cleanup money for remediation efforts at 474 Bowman St.
The Bowman Street building has already been demolished, according to Land Bank Executive Director Amy Hamrick. The PRIDE funds would be combined with a state grant to remediate the former gas station site, which includes underground fuel tanks.
Total mitigation costs for 474 Bowman St. are estimated at $361,595.35 — 75 percent of which would be state funds, according to Hamrick.
ODOD guidelines state only 75% of total mitigation costs can be awarded as a grant — which is approximately $270,000 of the Bowman Street estimate. The legislation council passed Tuesday will only take effect if the Land Bank secures the $270,000 in grant funding.
Funding to tear down VOA-owned building
Swift action was taken by Mansfield lawmakers Tuesday evening to include spending more than $180,000 in additional PRIDE taxes for a second project on North Main Street.
Council approved $180,300 as matching funds used by the Land Bank in seeking state brownfield cleanup money to purchase, abate and demolish the building at 290 N. Main St.
Earlier on Tuesday, Land Bank members voted to apply for $549,500 in state funding. The property is owned by Volunteers of America, but hasn’t been in use for about 12 years, according to Hamrick.
Total mitigation costs for 290 N. Main St. are estimated at $729,800, Hamrick said. That includes the purchase price for the property, asbestos analysis, demolition, abatement, environmental oversight, administration costs and accounting fees.
Land bank board members also voted to purchase the property for $35,000 — contingent on funding from the ODOD and Mansfield.
Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry said the vote at Tuesday’s council meeting was added as a last-minute agenda item, since the grant application period begins Wednesday morning.
“Doing either one of these projects (on Bowman and/or North Main streets) doesn’t slow us down on the neighborhood demos that we need to do,” Perry said.
“The (PRIDE Demolition) fund has been replenished thanks to a year’s worth of income tax receipts,” she said.
In other action Tuesday, City Council:
— tabled any action regarding a petition for detachment of certain land from the City of Mansfield until council’s next meeting on March 4 at 7 p.m.
— amended Chapter 1371 “Housing Code,” Section 1371.13 “Violations” of the city’s codified ordinances to update the previous fee of $300 to $600 per violation.
— approved amendments to Sections 15, 16 and 31 of Ordinance No. 25-005, adopting personnel positions, pay grades and salaries for certain employees of the City of Mansfield 2025 payroll year.
— authorized the public works director to enter into an agreement for electric services aggregation with a credible electric company.