Clarion demolition set to begin

Published: Saturday, 8/30/2014 - Updated: 18 hours ago

BY TOM TROY BLADE STAFF WRITER

Visible demolition of the Clarion Hotel high-rise eyesore in South Toledo should begin early next week just in time to help stage the nearby former Southwyck mall property for sale, city officials say.

Bill Burkett, commissioner of economic and business development, said the deconstruction of the 10-story building could not begin until the contractor finished eliminating contaminants everything from asbestos insulation to mercury in the thermostats and batteries in the exit signs.

The final step, he said, was to remove water from the basement that was used to store swimming pool chemicals.

Theyre going to start on the one-story areas the pool, banquet room, carport so they can get access to the remaining tower from the outside, Mr. Burkett said. I think itll take another four weeks to get it sorted out and bring everything to the ground.

Mayor D. Michael Collins announced the beginning of demolition on July 7, and his staff said the building would likely start to disappear in a month, a deadline that passed three weeks ago. The delay has prompted impatience on the part of council members who asked for an update from the administration last week.

The building at 2340 S. Reynolds Rd. has stood empty since 2009 when previous owners Toledo Hotel Investment Group LLC defaulted on $2 million in loans. The hotel has since caught fire, been broken into, vandalized, and lived in illegally.

Toledo City Council voted unanimously June 17 to approve a $434,000 bid by Homrich Inc. of Carleton, Mich., to tear the building down.

City Council set aside $350,000 from the capital improvements fund and obtained a $200,000 Brownfields grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pay for the demolition.

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Clarion demolition set to begin