Akron City Council approved plans to demolish a historic Firestone tire plant on the condition that the city’s planning department takes more time to find a new use for the building.
The approved plan allows for a 60-day moratorium on demolition. During that time, officials will advertise for redevelopers, said Planning Director Kyle Julien.
This also allows the city to keep $7.5 million in demolition funds from the state while honoring council members’ wish to find other options, Julien said.
“Explore some other opportunities, some other options, perhaps, see if there’s some way that we could position it for redevelopment,” Julien said during council’s planning and economic development committee meeting. “Absent that, at the end of the 60 days, we’ll either have a plan to repurpose the building - or proceed with demolition.”
The 115-year-old structure, the former headquarters of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its front façade and clock tower are seen by some as a symbol of the city’s industrial past.
The city’s Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission rejected the city’s request to demolish the building in August. The planning department appealed that decision to city council.
At a public hearing about the initial demolition proposal Sept. 11, council members and residents called for the city to take additional time to explore options.
Jeff Wilhite, an Akron resident and Summit County council member, encouraged the city to “pump the breaks” and look for ways to raise funds to preserve the building.
“It’s historic. It’s iconic,” Wilhite said. “It’s important that our communities keep some sense of place, a gathering place, something that is unique to those individual neighborhoods.”
Julien and other planning officials have repeatedly expressed concerns that taking additional time could put demolition funds in jeopardy.
The building has significantly deteriorated and is a frequent source of vandalism and police calls, officials added. Preserving the clock tower could cost $5 million, at the expense of other city projects and services, Julien said.
The amended proposal passed by council Monday is a way to take some more time without losing the demolition money, said Brian Angeloni, assistant law director.
“What the administration is not willing to do is unreasonably risk the loss of an unprecedented amount of demolition proceeds from the state to remedy what has been … a blight in that area,” Angeloni said.
One developer has already done a walk-through of the building in recent weeks, Julien added.
Councilmember Sharon Connor, who previously spoke against demolition, urged the community not to lose hope ahead of her vote in favor of the new proposal in the committee meeting.
“I know it’s difficult, but we can’t afford to lose this money,” Connor said. “We can still work on saving, retaining and keeping [the building.]”
The demolition moratorium will end on Nov. 21, 2025.
