Label
Extending Historic Building Moratorium to include Publicly-Owned Buildings
Gadus, Martinez
Title
Amending R-368-24 to extend the moratorium on the issuance of Demolition permits for buildings of Historical Community Importance to January 17, 2026; and include qualifying publicly owned buildings under the same moratorium and declaring an emergency.
Summary
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
In July of 2024, the Toledo City Council passed R-368-24, a moratorium on the issuance of demolition permits for historically-significant, privately-owned buildings. The Plan Commission then began work on producing a report outlining the location of applicable buildings with details about their condition, as well as recommendations of potential remedies for preserving those buildings.
The rationale for preserving historically- and culturally-significant buildings was stated as such in the initial resolution: "These structures may be significant cultural and architectural assets that contribute to the character and identity of the city... Demolition of these structures can have profound and lasting effects... [like] the Loss of Community Identity, [erosion] of the sense of belonging among residents, potential for Urban Blight [like] illegal dumping, vandalism [which] deteriorates the quality of life in the neighborhood and deters potential investment and development." It continues; "The moratorium on demolition permits aims to safeguard not only the cultural and architectural heritage of Toledo but also the social and economic well-being of its neighborhoods. It provides an opportunity for thorough evaluation and community engagement to explore alternative strategies for preserving and/or repurposing buildings of historical community importance."
Based on the criteria developed initially, the Plan Commission staff: "looked at approximately 400 privately owned structures that were built before 1949 that provided a gathering space for more than 20 individuals meeting for a co...
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