Coshocton land bank considering Novelty Advertising building donation

COSHOCTON − The Coshocton County Land Reutilization Corporation, commonly known as the land bank, is entertaining an offer to take on the former Novelty Advertising building, even as they continue to work toward demolition and remediation of the former Custom Glove building.

Coshocton County Treasurer Janette Donaker said an anonymous donation has been proposed to the land bank by a potential buyer for the 2.17-acre property at 1148 Walnut St. Donaker said the interest was in vacant land part of the property and not the building or the portion it sits on.

Coshocton Fire Chief Rusty Dreher said if the land bank would takeover the building he would want all combustible and hazardous materials removed and the building secured from intruders. Land bank officials are looking into cost for those requirements and other work, such as demolition. It's possible the land bank will have a special meeting in about two weeks to make a decision if the offer is still on the table.

"It could be very intriguing for the land bank to have it and facilitate the tear down, but we have to have a quote for the tear down. This is not a decision we can make in three days. It would be irresponsible for us to do that," Coshocton Port Authority Director Tiffany Swigert said. "We have to do due diligence."

Dreher said the structure is sound and the building could be saved. He said the most costly element would be a new fire suppression system. He also said there are some roof repair issues.

However, tearing the building down and providing a vacant lot might be more appealing to a developer, Swigert said. She said the port authority has talked with companies in the past about the building and none have been interested.

Swigert and Mayor Mark Mills believe the best option might be turning the building into apartments or tearing it down for a new apartment complex. Dreher expressed issues with parking, which could be addressed better with a new build. Developing more housing in the city has been a priority of Mills'.

"To me, that would be a good spot for housing on both sides of the railroad tracks. You're not far away from the city center," Mills said. "Me, I'd rather see the structure stay up and get a new use, but if that was going to happen it would have happened how many years ago."

In November 2021, the property and much of the contents were sold at auction. The listing stated the building was comprised of 13,900 square feet of warehouse space, 15,850 square feet of manufacturing space and 7,700 square feet of office space, with an additional 2 acres of land for possible expansion.

Novelty Advertising was founded in 1895 as a printer of calendars and manufacturer of specialty advertising items. In January 2020, it was announced that several properties owned by Novelty Advertising were being sold to pay debts of more than $1.18 million to Home Loan Savings Bank, including defaulted loans.

Donaker also expressed concern of taking on the Novelty building while the land bank still owns and is working on the former Custom Glove factory at 421 S. Fifth St. The land bank took possession in April 2022 and an environmental review completed by BJAAM Environmental of Canal Fulton at the start of the year estimated the total project at $1.13 million. This includes $45,000 of administration and in-kind matches from the land bank.

Swigert said it's hoped they can apply leftover funding from the Ohio Department of Development Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program to work at Custom Glove. She said all 10 structures to be razed are down, but there are still some outstanding expenses to be paid. She projects more than $200,000 to still be available and the land bank is seeking guidelines from the state on how the money could be used. If it can't be used for Custom Glove, Swigert said they have a wait list of other properties for razing.

"My hope is we would be able to knock out another four or five structures or put all that money toward Custom Glove. It's to be determined," Swigert said. "I think we all feel (Custom Glove) would be the priority since we do own it and it just makes things much easier."

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Land bank considering Novelty Advertising building donation