State funds granted for demolition projects in Medina County, including Chatham Township Community Center

CHATHAM TWP. — The Medina County Land Reutilization Corp. recently received $230,000 from the state for demolition projects in the county, including the Chatham Township Community Center. Funding comes from the most recent round of the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program from the Ohio Department of Development. The grants are used to demolish buildings that are considered unsafe and blighted in preparation for redevelopment. Commissioner Steve Hambley said the Medina County Land Reutilization Corp., also known as the land bank, was formed in 2024 to acquire properties that are tax delinquent, abandoned or foreclosed, among other circumstances, and put the property back into productive use. "Whenever we acquire that property, we're able to zero out the back taxes and then be able to put it back on the market, so that it can basically start generating revenue again for the community," he said. The land bank received two grants for demolition from the state in this round, Hambley said. One project involves demolishing a house in Wadsworth. The other grant will go to the Chatham Township Community Center at 6306 Avon Lake Road. Chatham Trustee Rick Dumperth said the township purchased the former elementary school building from Cloverleaf Local Schools for $1 more than a decade ago. The former school, constructed in the 1920s, sits on around eight acres of land. He said there are limitations to the building since it lacks a suitable heating system, air conditioning and insulation. "The only thing accessible at the ground level is the gym, so everything else you have to use steps," Dumperth said. "There is a small elevator to get from the gym floor down to the lower grade where the restrooms are, but other than that, all your other classrooms are largely upstairs. From an (Americans with Disabilities Act) perspective, it leaves it very unusable because it's not accessible." Looking back at prior fiscal years, it cost the township around $23,000 annually to operate the building, not taking into account any larger repairs that need to be made, he said. Therefore, the township looked into demolishing the building, which is estimated to cost around $208,000. "We were very, very fortunate with the advent of the formation of the land bank in Medina County that they were able to acquire an amount of $190,000 toward that demolition from the Department of Development," Dumperth said. "Our local burden for the demolition is going to be about $17,800, which is less than the cost of operating the building for a year." The demolition could occur before the end of the year, he said. The company offered to bring a concrete and brick crusher on site since an estimated 75 percent of the building can be crushed into stone. "Worst case scenario, you fill the hole that's left when you remove the building because there's a concrete and brick and mortar subgrade, so you'll have a depression in there," Dumperth said. "We could use the stone to fill that, and then also it could be left on site. We could utilize it for our roads because we do have several miles of gravel road in Chatham Township." The township is considering putting a new fire station on the site, he said. The current fire station was built in the 1960s, is landlocked and does not have the room or the amenities that are required for modern fire departments. "The site of the former elementary school is very attractive for a fire station for a couple reasons," Dumperth said. "It's on a main state Route. The building level will be higher than the road, which is always suitable for a fire station. It's already got utilities there." The township contacted an architect who could give Chatham the opportunity to build an affordable fire station on the site, he said. "These are just the beginning stages. We found a more economical approach, and there's some other funding opportunities that we have access to presently," Dumperth said. "We'll see how fast this all can materialize and what direction it goes, but the possibility exists that we might not have to go back to our voters for any additional funds." He described the demolition as "bittersweet" since it is a historical building. Chatham wants to give its community members the opportunity to go through the building before it is demolished. "Our primary responsibility as trustees is fiduciary, and we are responsible for responsibly using the revenue that is generated by our residents paying taxes and levies," Dumperth said. "It's mixed emotions, but I know in my heart that we can't continue to burden our community with this. On the flip side, we so desperately need to do something with our fire station, so this was a very good solution to two issues." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.