City plans money for Stoveworks cleanup

New police cars, road repairs on tap

Cleaning up the Stoveworks dump site, new police cars and a road resurfacing plan are on Lorain’s project list for the near future.

On July 24, city staff held a public hearing about changing Lorain’s action plan for spending money from the city’s Business Development Revolving Loan Funds. The city received the money through federal Community Development Block Grant funds by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In the revised plan, the city would spend a total of $992,051 on three improvement projects:

• $308,000 for police cars for six police officers and a supervisor focusing on crime prevention in lowto moderate-income areas of the city.

• $385,000 for road resurfacing for Narragansett Boulevard, Edgewood Drive and Ashland Avenue.

• $299,051 for cleaning up the former Stoveworks site at West 13th Street and Long Avenue.

The cleanup money likely won’t be available immediately. Now that the hearing is completed, there is a 15-day public comment period, then a review by federal program staff, then a formal release of the money.

After that, the city must advertise for bids for a contractor to remove debris and soil from the site, which has contaminants such as asbestos and arsenic, said Kellie Glenn, director of Building, Housing

and Planning.

Once that takes place, physical work to clean up the grounds could start in January 2018, Glenn said.

It probably will be early spring 2018 when the remediation can be seen by the public, she said.

The future environmental cleanup already has approval from the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office, a key step, Glenn said.

The next round of cleanup work is estimated to cost up to $460,000; an exact cost is not available yet.

The city of Lorain would combine the $299,051 with available money from the next federal program year to cover the expense, Glenn said.

The Stoveworks site, which sits in central Lorain, has been problematic for years.

The city in 2014 sued owner Lorain Properties Co. LLP and in January 2016 announced a settlement agreement that led to removal of asbestos and a decrepit building from

the site.

On July 24, the building was gone, but piles of rubble, old tires, litter and overgrown plants were visible at the site.

As for the other projects, the police cars would replenish the city’s fleet. The cars would support two officers working with Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority, two officers working with Lorain schools and two community resource officers working in low- to moderate-income parts of the city.

The city would buy the new police cruisers through the state of Ohio’s purchasing plan for municipalities.

The $385,000 for road resurfacing project July 17 received approval from City Council.

That project was the replacement of a different road repair plan that sparked debate among city leaders.

City Council approved new pavement for Kentucky Avenue, D Street and E Street in Ward 2, but this month, Mayor Chase Ritenauer vetoed that project because Ward 2 Councilman Dennis Flores voted against it.

Narragansett Boulevard, Edgewood Drive and Ashland Avenue became the replacement project for the city to spend the money.

The July 24 public hearing had two attendees: Denver Casto, who is running as a challenger for the Ward 7 seat on City Council, and John Franko. The pair of Jaeger Road residents frequently attend City Council meetings.

“It sounds like everything right here is going to make the city better,” Casto said. “I hope so,” Glenn said. Anyone who wishes to comment on the project list can respond by mail to Department of Building, Housing, and Planning, 200 W. Erie Ave., 5th Floor, Lorain, OH 44052.