City to move forward on East Toledo site

7/28/2006

Site preparation would begin later this summer on a long-awaited plan to develop vacant land at the I-75 interchange in East Toledo for new housing and retail businesses.

Mayor Carty Finkbeiner said yesterday that next week he will ask Toledo City Council to appropriate the city's $1.1 million share of the project.

The Clean Ohio Fund approved a $3 million grant in December, 2003, to clean up the 44-acre site on Miami Street in East Toledo. The project is planned to have single and multifamily residences as well as some retail and office development.

The city was given 30 months to complete the cleanup.

Developer Brad White of River Road Redevelopment LLC, based in Cincinnati, said the project has been given verbal approval of an extension to the fall of 2007.

The land is owned by Pilkington and was used to store sand used in the glass-making process. Mr. White said the sand is contaminated with low concentrations of arsenic.

Mr. White said the state's contribution would be used to remove or cap the contamination. The city's funds would be used to build sewer and water lines and roads. He said private investment would pay for buildings.

Mr. Finkbeiner said $700,000 is set aside in the capital improvements budget and $400,000 would come out of the so-called 2 percent fund created from utility rate payments.

He said the project will be part of a series of developments planned for the east side, including the Marina District close to downtown and an expected Bass Pro Shops in Rossford's Crossroads of America site near the Ohio Turnpike and I-75.