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At the abandoned power plant, Dick Meyers of the review panel looks through partially broken windows. The dilapidated structure is strewn with broken glass, pieces of brick, and other debris. Graffiti on the walls, old cups, and cigarette packets offer evidence of human intruders.
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City of Toledo to demolish 2 buildings

THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY

City of Toledo to demolish 2 buildings

Razing of east side plant, north end mall to start in May

Demolition of two giant Toledo eyesores on separate sides of the city is expected to begin next month, a Toledo official said Wednesday.

The abandoned Toledo Edison Acme power plant in East Toledo's Marina District and the former North Towne Square mall on the city's north side are slated for demolition starting mid-May, brownfield redevelopment officer Joel Mazur said.

The Bell administration has examined bids for both projects and chosen a separate contractor for each site, Mr. Mazur indicated. Homrich Inc. of Carleton, Mich., will do the North Towne demolition, which is anticipated to cost the city a total of nearly $600,000, though final pricing details have yet to be worked out, Mr. Mazur said.

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The money will come out of revolving federal grant funds that city council approved for the demolition in December.

For the Acme plant, which is already partially demolished, the city selected Burge Wrecking LLC of Toledo to finish the job. Burge has agreed to pay the city $511 to do the work, Mr. Mazur said. The firm would make money by recycling steel from the structure, he said.

Mr. Mazur and Deputy Mayor Tom Crothers took members of the city's Marina District Architectural Review Committee -- a group of volunteers charged with reviewing development plans for the site -- on a tour of the plant Wednesday. The giant, dilapidated structure is strewn with broken glass, pieces of brick, and other debris. Graffiti on the walls, old cups, and cigarette packets offer evidence of human intruders in the building, a safety problem that worries city officials.

Mr. Mazur said demolition of the plant will take several months, and three large smoke stacks and a concrete wall will be left in place. Those items would cost too much to remove right now, and taking down the wall could disturb sensitive utilities under the ground, the officer said.

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The city also has to secure approval from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office to move ahead with the demolition because federal funds were used on the property previously to remove asbestos, Mr. Mazur said.

"We're pretty much ready to go, it's just a matter of process," Mr. Mazur said.

Some members of the review committee asked that some items from the plant be salvaged for their historical value, including a giant map of the power network for northwest Ohio, several arched windows, and a steel door. Mr. Mazur said that he would speak with the contractors about preserving the items.

The committee includes Jimmy Wu, an executive with Chinese-led company Dashing Pacific, which owns a portion of the Marina District. Dashing Pacific also has an option to buy the power-plant site, which is currently owned by the city.

Mr. Wu did not attend the tour Wednesday but talked with the committee members via conference call.

Contact Claudia Boyd-Barrett at: cbarrett@theblade.com or 419-724-6272.

First Published April 19, 2012, 5:26 a.m.

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At the abandoned power plant, Dick Meyers of the review panel looks through partially broken windows. The dilapidated structure is strewn with broken glass, pieces of brick, and other debris. Graffiti on the walls, old cups, and cigarette packets offer evidence of human intruders.  (THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY)  Buy Image
Members of the Toledo Architectural Review Committee view a giant map of the northwest Ohio power network inside the Toledo Edison Acme power plant in East Toledo. The map has historical value.  (THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY)  Buy Image
THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY
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