Broken glass. Vandalized walls. Debris everywhere. That’s the scene from inside the 115-year-old Firestone Plant #1. The City of Akron is looking for a developer to save it — but is only accepting proposals until Oct. 27.
Donning N95 masks and toting flashlights, representatives from the city this week hosted a tour of the historic structure for developers as well as members of the media. There’s now a formal process for developers to propose a project that would preserve the plant’s front bay, along with its iconic clock tower.
The asking price for the property is $5 million, enough to replace a State of Ohio demolition grant that was meant to tear down the building. The grant could be lost if the structure isn’t demolished by a state deadline.
The city has given developers until Oct. 27 to make an offer, after Akron City Council members set a Nov. 21 deadline for a decision about the plant’s future.
This is the second recent project the city has asked for bids to forestall a planned demolition. The other is the Bowen School building, which had a minimum purchase price of $800,000 in order to replace state demolition money if the project isn’t completed.
