Demo of former Westinghouse building, opening of West Main expected this summer

Kent Mallett, Newark Advocate
·2 min read
The aftermath of Sunday morning's fire at Newark Station on West Main Street. The building, previously slated to be demolished, was in danger of collapse, forcing the indefinite closure of West Main Street.
The aftermath of Sunday morning's fire at Newark Station on West Main Street. The building, previously slated to be demolished, was in danger of collapse, forcing the indefinite closure of West Main Street.

NEWARK — The burned-out former White-Westinghouse factory building on West Main Street should be demolished sometime this summer and the street re-opened.

Representatives from the Licking County Land Bank and city of Newark met with the Licking County Commissioners in a special meeting Tuesday to determine funding sources for the demolition, expected to cost $850,000 to $900,000.

An Easter Sunday morning fire at the 140,000-square foot factory building at 325 West Main St., in an area becoming part of multi-use development Newark Station, engulfed the structure previously slated for demolition, but did not reach the rest of the redevelopment area.

More: Newark Station fire limited to building slated for demolition, but collapse danger remains

The vacant building, located close to the street, forced the closure of West Main adjacent to Raccoon Creek because of fear the heavily-damaged building could collapse.

The commissioners voted Tuesday to loan the Land Bank $500,000 for the demolition. The Land Bank applied to the state for grant money and awaits those funds, but the fire accelerated the city's need to get  the building down and reopen West Main Street.

“The land bank pays the contractors and when we get the money from the state, we pay the commissioners back," Newark Mayor Jeff Hall said.

Other downtown streets are also closed as part of the Fourth Street infrastructure project, so the West Main Street closure has complicated downtown detours.

“We appreciate the public's patience, but it’s been enough time," Hall said. "It’s time to get it open. We just want to speed it up a little bit.”

Newark Fire and other departments respond to a blaze at Newark Station on West Main Street early Easter Sunday morning April 17, 2022.
Newark Fire and other departments respond to a blaze at Newark Station on West Main Street early Easter Sunday morning April 17, 2022.

The city planned to use $500,000 in grant money, plus up to $400,000 from its American Rescue Plan Act funds or city general fund, to pay for demolition costs. But, the state has not yet paid out the grant funds. The city expects to repay the commissioners before the end of the year.

People broke into the building for shelter before the fire and have again entered the building since the fire.

“You put a fence up and they climb over," Hall said. "You put boards up and they tear the boards down.”

Newark Station is mixed-use development on the former White-Westinghouse industrial site property. It will include a coffee shop, lounge, loft apartments, rooftop bar, modern-day trading post featuring artisans and entrepreneurs, office space, Italian restaurant and possibly a city park along Raccoon Creek.

The four-year, $11 million project opened last year with four lighted sand volleyball courts, an outdoor taco bar and live music as the first phase of the four-phase development.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8545

Twitter: @kmallett1958

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Demo of former Westinghouse building, West Main re-opening this summer