FINDLAY — Downtown Findlay will continue to lose buildings, as Hancock County knocks down structures that have been repeatedly damaged in floods.

The county will raze four buildings on North Main Street, part of a larger flood mitigation plan to remove buildings in downtown that are frequent victims of the Blanchard River.

The buildings, 201, 202, 204, and 205 N. Main St., were once pawnshops, a restaurant, and a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning store. They’re within a half-block of the river, and are among the lowest points in town near the Blanchard.

In the 2007 flood, each had about six feet of water in their first floors.

“They were in a trouble spot,” said Steve Wilson, project manager in the Hancock County Engineer’s office.

The county purchased the properties this year and in 2015. The demolitions follow eight razings in 2014 of buildings just south on Main Street. For now the land will be green space, as new buildings can’t be put in the flood way, but a plan is being developed

“I think that with the buildings that have been torn down in those areas, in general it’s been well received in the community,” Hancock County Commissioner Phillip Riegle said.

Most of the businesses in the area shuttered after they were damaged in the 2007 flood, but not every business wants to abandon the area.

The demolitions will leave 139 N. Main St. surrounded by empty lots. The building, which houses Nicki’s Night Club, was targeted by commissioners for purchase and demolition last year. They received approval to use grant funding to knock down the structure, but so far the bar is still running.

“It’s a negotiation. We have had obviously some discussions in the past, but nobody is required to sell or anything like that,” Mr. Riegle said. ”They continue to operate and that’s perfectly fine.”

Multiple messages left for the club’s owner were not returned this week.

The county will spend about $90,000 to knock down the four buildings, and demolition should take about two weeks, Mr. Wilson said. While the county has received some federal funding in the past for similar projects, other funding has come from a 0.25 percent sales tax approved by voters in 2009 for flood mitigation.

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com or 419-724-6086, or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.

First Published July 16, 2016, 4:00 a.m.