Owners of West Park Shopping Center have until July 14 to demolish site
The Mansfield Planning Commission has passed a motion to grant no further extensions beyond July 14 for the demolition appeal by the owners of the West Park Shopping Center.
Commission member Dave Remy said the members of the planning commission voted on Tuesday to give West Mansfield LLC of Great Neck, N.Y., owners of the dilapidated shopping center at 1157 Park Avenue West, until July 14, the agreed-upon final date for demolition to be completed.
He said in essence the appeal will die on that date by the owners' failure to do anything positive or affirmative to address the demolition.
"They haven't done anything to this point," Remy said. "I believe it would be appropriate to make a motion to, absent any further affirmative action on their part between now and July 14, that no further appeals or extensions be granted."
City would demolish the units and assess owners
Marc Milliron of Mansfield building and codes said if the owners don't post a demolition bond and have equipment on the site by July 14 the city will hire a demolition contractor and demolish the unoccupied, dilapidated units of the old mall and assess the costs to the owners.
The owners would have 30 days to file an appeal after July 14 at the Richland County Courthouse, Milliron said.
First Assistant Law Director Chris Brown said the owners had a registered demolition contractor from Maryland and who had fulfill what was required and posted a demolition bond, but he has since decided not to do the project.
Brown said the property owner said in the past said they did not know how much asbestos abatement was going to cost at the site.
"That's been the delay," according to the owners, Brown said.
Milliron said there has been no bond posted by the company and no recent correspondences with the owners on the demolition project.
Deadline for demolition was to be July 14, 2023 which is definitely not happening, Milliron said.
A demolition appeal was submitted for 1157 Park Avenue West by West Mansfield Realty LLC after demolition orders were placed on the structure Nov. 4, 2022 following 60 days from an inspection that identified several concerning structural issues, the commission said.
History of shopping center
In 2015, the 18-acre property was sold to the current owner, a real estate investment firm based in Great Neck, N.Y., for $1.6 million.
West Park Shopping Center was anchored by the Big Bear grocery store from the mid-1950s. In 1974 the decision to close the Big Bear Market was made by the chain's Columbus headquarters. The reason for the closing was not divulged, according to News Journal archives.
Tenants in 2015 included Dollar General Market, the State of Ohio Driver's Exam Bureau, Comfrey Corner Natural Foods, Tara's Floral, China Club, Little Caesar's Pizza and Richland Bank.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: If shopping center owners fail to act by July 14, city to demo PAW site
