MANSFIELD — Richland County Land Bank plans to purchase and demolish a building on Mansfield’s Main Street won’t move forward — at least not right now.
Last month, the Land Bank board voted to apply for $549,500 in funding from the Ohio Department of Development’s Brownfield Remediation Program to purchase, abate and tear down a building at 290 N. Main St.
However, Executive Director Amy Hamrick said the land bank could not submit its application in time because the seller did not provide a signed copy of the purchase agreement.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get all the documentation in time to apply,” Hamrick said.
Volunteers of America owns the property, but it has been vacant for about 12 years.
The board agreed to purchase the property for $35,000. However, the purchase agreement was contingent on the land bank receiving ODOD funds.
Last month, Hamrick estimated the 290 N. Main St. project would cost around $729,800. That includes the purchase price for the property, asbestos analysis, demolition, abatement, environmental oversight, administration costs, and accounting fees.
Mansfield City Council also voted to commit $180,300 from its demolition fund to meet ODOD’s local match requirements.
Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry, a Land Bank board member, said she’d be open to pursuing the project again if ODOD offers another round of brownfield remediation funding.
“My hope is still to be able to do it, but we definitely need a state match to make it work, so we’ll have to wait for the next round, if there is one,” Perry said.
Demand for brownfield remediation funding is high. Hamrick said ODOD closed the application portal less than an hour after it opened due to the high volume of applications.
Hamrick, who said she was sitting ready by her computer the minute the application window opened, did apply for another project.
The land bank hopes to receive $270,000 in grant funding to clean up potential contaminants at a former gas station on Bowman Avenue.
Hamrick said the property at 474 Bowman St. was a gas station from 1929 to 1972. In 2017, the State of Ohio forfeited it due to delinquent property taxes.
The building has already been demolished, but several underground fuel tanks remain onsite.
Total mitigation costs for 474 Bowman St. are estimated at $361,595.35. Mansfield City Council voted to supply $91,868.35 in PRIDE taxes for the local match.
“It’s (diagonal to the former Ocie Hill Neighborhood Center),” Hamrick said. “We’d like to see the whole area redeveloped somehow, but ultimately, just get it cleaned up so there’s no contaminants from the former gas station.”
Hamrick said ODOD has not announced when grants will be awarded.
