Akron Says Demolition of Historic Firestone Plant 1 Is Imminent, Clock Tower to Be Saved

Akron officials said Monday, Nov. 9, that demolition of the historic Firestone Plant 1 is imminent, even as the city awaits final approval of its plan from the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office, the Akron Beacon Journal reported Nov. 9.

The plant is on the National Register of Historic Places, which is why the state preservation office, known as SHPO, must approve the demolition plan, the Beacon Journal reported. The city has submitted a revised plan to SHPO outlining how the building’s historical significance will be preserved and memorialized, and talks between the city and SHPO continue, according to that reporting.

The building’s clock tower has long served as an Akron landmark and a reminder of the city’s Rubber City heyday, the Beacon Journal reported. The long-vacant plant, by the city’s account in that reporting, has become a blight and safety issue, and the city has unsuccessfully sought partners to redevelop it.

City spokeswoman Stephanie Marsh told the Beacon Journal by email that there is no tentative start date yet because the updated agreement with SHPO is not finalized, but that “the project is anticipated to take approximately 225 working days” once it proceeds. NewsForce247 is attributing that statement to the Beacon Journal’s Nov. 9 reporting, in which Marsh spoke to that newspaper.

“SHPO has responded to the City’s revised proposal and requested additional documentation, including an agreement between the city and the owner of the adjacent Triangle Building addressing protections for that property during demolition,” the city said in a Nov. 9 press release quoted by the Beacon Journal. The city is also preparing a preliminary demolition timeline to be included in the agreement, according to that press release as reported by the Beacon Journal.

What we know — and what we’re still waiting on

What we know is that the city has a revised memorandum of understanding, a salvage plan and a funding vote behind it, and that SHPO has asked for additional documentation before the updated agreement is final. What we are still waiting on is SHPO’s final approval itself, the preliminary demolition timeline the city says it is preparing, and a start date — Marsh told the Beacon Journal there is no tentative start date yet. Until that approval lands, demolition cannot be treated as scheduled, only as the city’s stated and imminent intent.

The revised plan includes detailed documentation of the building before it comes down. According to the Beacon Journal’s reporting on the city’s plan, the city will complete a Historic American Buildings Survey of Plant 1, including documentation and photography to be preserved in historical archives, with Perspectus Architecture chosen for that work; onsite documentation and photography are complete and the firm is working to finalize the survey.

Preservation of the clock tower elements is a central part of the plan. The city plans to carefully salvage the clock faces, clock mechanisms where feasible, and significant architectural materials from the clock tower and facade for future use in a permanent historical installation on or near the site, the Beacon Journal reported, and has engaged RW Clark Company of Cleveland, a firm experienced in historic salvage, for that work once approval is received.

A task force led by the Summit County Historical Society would develop plans for that permanent installation, with representatives from the city, the Historical Society, the Summit County Land Bank and the Firestone Park neighborhood, according to the Beacon Journal’s reporting. The city also plans an online repository documenting Plant 1’s history and its connection to Firestone Park, a review of its historic preservation policies with an outside expert, and educational opportunities for staff and the public, the Beacon Journal reported.

“Firestone Plant 1 is an important part of Akron’s history, and we want to ensure that history is preserved,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a prepared statement quoted by the Beacon Journal. “Given the environmental restrictions on the property and the challenges of redeveloping the building, we believe demolition is the most responsible path forward. We’re committed to working with SHPO and our community partners to preserve meaningful elements of the building and honor its legacy for future generations,” Malik said in that statement.

The money and the local approvals have moved in parallel. On Nov. 2, Akron City Council approved, 9-4, the issuance of $2 million in bonds to help pay for the demolition, the Beacon Journal reported. In April, the Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission unanimously approved the city’s proposed site mitigation plan, though it refused a request to vote on a demolition certificate, noting its objection to razing the building had already been legally overruled, according to that reporting. The Summit County Land Bank is also helping the city obtain an extension on an Ohio Department of Development grant supporting the demolition, the Beacon Journal reported.

For Firestone Park residents, the next concrete step is SHPO’s decision on the revised plan and the additional documentation the city is preparing. Readers can follow related Akron coverage in our reporting on Goodyear’s interim CEO change in Akron and on Akron voters giving the police auditor subpoena power under Issue 13. NewsForce247 will update this story when a demolition start date is set.