The Diocese of Toledo has offered to sell the former Holy Rosary Church property in East Toledo to the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, board of directors members were told in a committee meeting Tuesday.
Port Authority President Paul Toth, Jr., announced the potential deal at a meeting of the new planning and development committee.
The former church, along with a school, a couple of houses, and a garage occupy five acres on the same triangle with about 28 acres owned by the port authority.
Adding the diocesan property to the site would improve its attractiveness for commercial and industrial use, Mr. Toth said.
He said the diocese offered no specific price, and there was speculation that it could transfer at little or no cost because of the cost of demolition, estimated at $200,000 to $250,000.
Holy Rosary was one of 17 parishes closed in 2005 by former Toledo Diocese Bishop Leonard Blair. The sweeping realignment of the diocese was needed because of a sharp drop in the number of priests combined with changing demographics among parishes, diocese leaders said.
The idea of acquiring the parcel was well-received by the committee.
The triangle faces Front, Wheeling, and York streets. The port’s property is used by a landscaping business and community gardens. Mr. Toth said it would be a good location for a warehouse.
Zach Silka, a spokesman for the diocese, confirmed that the diocese recently reached out to the Port Authority. He said the diocese is exploring “multiple options” for the real estate.
The committee took no action, and Mr. Toth said he would investigate further.
Also Tuesday, the committee recommended approval of a grant to the city of Findlay of $355,000 to buy and install machinery that would collect sediment in the Blanchard River and pump it onto land. The money would come from a $7,350,000 grant the Port Authority received from the state Department of Natural Resources under the Healthy Lake Erie program to reduce sediment loading into the Maumee River and Lake Erie.
The question now goes to the full board.
Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.
First Published May 18, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
