MANSFIELD — The Richland County Land Bank is taking the next step towards development at the former YMCA.
The land bank board voted Wednesday to approve a request for proposals (RFP) for the site. The RFP will be finalized and shared with developers by May 16. Submissions will be due June 20. The board aims to select a developer by late July.
The development team would be responsible for creating a plan, securing financing, managing zoning, permitting approvals and overseeing the project construction, according to a preliminary version of the RFP.
The RFP also states the selected development team must be committed to collaborating with the land bank and local partners, including the City of Mansfield.
“I think housing in some form or fashion certainly makes sense there,” Perry said. “It’s in the heart of a neighborhood.
“I would like to see something that really adds to the fabric of the neighborhood, that I think will help us drive further development on Park Avenue.”
Another possibility is a mixed-use development, which could include both residential housing units and commercial or office space.
“We’re going to wait and see what comes our way,” Hamrick said. “Our preference is housing, but we’re not going to rule out something that doesn’t include housing if it benefits the community.”
In July 2024, the Land Bank board approved spending up to $10,000 with a Columbus architecture firm to develop 3-D designs showing potential future development at the former Mansfield YMCA site.
That sample layout included multifamily housing with 67 parking spaces and vehicle entry off Baldwin Avenue and Bartley Avenues.
Nevertheless, land bank leaders said they are open to other ideas developers could bring to the table.
“One of the reasons we chose to go through (the 3-D design process) was to help people to see what you could do on that site,” Perry said.
“I think a lot of people look at it and they think, ‘It’s too small. You can’t squeeze much on there.’ I think what those architects were able to show us is that if you’re creative, you can.”
Could the former YMCA site become affordable housing?
Richland County needs more housing at every income level.
The Richland County Housing Study conducted in 2022 found that Richland County will need to add 2,475 owner-occupied housing units and 3,364 renter-occupied units by 2032.
Nevertheless, the study identified three types of housing as the area’s most pressing needs: attainable housing, senior housing and affordable housing.
Specifically, the study called for an additional 2,700 affordable housing rental units.
Affordable versus attainable housing
The Richland County Housing Study defined three types of housing by price, including
- affordable (80 percent or less of the average median income, or $59,300 for a family of four in 2022)
- attainable (80 to 120 percent of the AMI, between $59,300 and $88,920 for a family of four in 2022)
- market rate (120 percent AMI or more, $88,920 or more for a family of four in 2022)
High construction costs and a lower return on investment often dissuade developers from building affordable housing, according to Second Ward councilwoman and real estate agent Cheryl Meier.
“With building supplies at the cost that they are, it’s very difficult. It’s a real challenge,” Meier said at a recent event. “So we take what we can get and until some of that sort of settles out. This is this is where we are.”
Nevertheless, Perry said ‘anything is possible’ when it comes to redevelopment on the site.
“We’ve had housing developers on all income levels approaching the city and looking at available spaces,” she said. “But some of that stuff is really determined by the (affordable housing development) incentives that the state offers.”
Land bank had to re-excavate site, create a clean slate
The city of Mansfield demolished the former YMCA building in 2018 under then-Mayor Tim Theaker.
The plan was to tear it down and assess the cost of demolition to the owner through the Richland County auditor’s office. The owner eventually foreclosed on the property and the land bank acquired the site.
Officials later discovered the site was undevelopable due to debris buried onsite during the original demolition process. So the land bank, using state grant funds from the Ohio Department of Development, contracted with Advanced Demolition Services from McComb, Ohio, to re-excavate the site, remove the debris and reseed the lot.
Perry said she feels excited to move on to the development stage.
“This was the goal for the land bank taking the parcel in the first place,” she said. “We really want to incentivize housing coming in, redevelopment on sites that were formerly not being used, bringing them back on the tax rolls.”