Former Omnova Solutions headquarters being razed, owner plans to rebuild on Fairlawn site
A vacant Fairlawn corporate landmark is being razed in preparation for a rebirth, according to the city's mayor.
The owner of the former Omnova Solutions headquarters at 175 Ghent Road, which the company vacated in 2014, plans to rebuild the site, Fairlawn Mayor Bill Roth said.
"The landowner has pulled a permit to have the entire building demolished," Roth said, adding the company owns more than 10 acres in all on the site.
"I don't know what they're planning to do with that, but it is a prime corner," he added. "The building has been empty for at least five to seven years. I know they tried to repurpose the building, but nothing seemed feasible."
The company could not immediately be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
Crews have begun tearing away parts of the distinctive, semi-pyramidal structure built in 1982 across Ghent Road from Summit Mall. It first served as world headquarters for GenCorp, a holding company descended from Akron's General Tire. Omnova Solutions, a GenCorp spinoff, left the site for its new home in Beachwood.
The long-empty building has become a lonely corner at the busy Fairlawn crossroads of Ghent and Smith roads, where its neighbors include Summit County's last viable shopping mall and jewelry giant Signet.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Former Omnova Solutions, GenCorp HQ getting makeover in Fairlawn
