ASHLAND – The land where Weiss Family Pharmacy once sat will soon become property of the city of Ashland.
Property owner Matt Wurster has agreed to donate a majority of the land to the city to pave the way for a project mayor Matt Miller said should benefit the community.
“We want to make it a space that’s useful to the public and a gathering place downtown,” Miller said.
Wurster purchased the two Weiss buildings at 80 E. Main St. and 76 E. Main St., along with the adjacent former Napa Auto Parts building, in May. His original intent was to renovate all three buildings.
After discovering serious structural issues in the Weiss buildings, Wurster hired Page Excavating to demolish the buildings in October.
Miller told council members Tuesday that before the buildings were demolished, Wurster had offered to donate the properties to the city to use as additional parking spaces next to the city’s existing lot. The city declined the offer because demolition costs would have been too great, Miller said.
After that, Wurster paid for the demolition himself. He also traveled to Columbus with Miller and Ashland County Community Foundation executive director Jim Cutright to discuss ideas for the space with OHM Advisors, the firm that is helping the city and community foundation create a targeted action plan.
“Since then, Matt (Wurster) has also reached out to others here in the community to get their help with building upon some of those original ideas he had,” Miller said. “And that is truly unfolding as we speak. Even I have not seen any of those revised ideas, so we’ll see what happens.”
Now that the buildings are gone, Miller said, Wurster will pay for Page Excavating to finish regrading the land before handing a majority of it over to the city.
Wurster will retain 15 feet of land adjacent to the Napa Auto Parts building, which Wurster is renovating in hopes of attracting a restaurant or other leasee.
Wurster said he made the decision to donate the land after realizing it was not going to be a commercial space.
“Whether it will be recreational space, parking, or some combination of the two, I think that decision is more appropriately made by city officials than by me,” Wurster said. “I’m helping the process along as much as I can, working with some of the stakeholders, the community foundation, contractors and city officials about what can go there, but the ultimate decision will be up to city officials.”
Miller said another reason it made sense for Wurster to give the land to the city was because while Wurster’s business can’t accept private donations or grants, the city can.
Miller said he expects to see a combination of public dollars and private donations funding the final project. While it is unclear what the final project will be, Miller said it is unlikely to be a building but is likely to involve some construction and to contain a gathering place rather than just a parking lot.
“We do not expect it to be a parking lot when it’s finished,” Miller said.
Wurster said his vision for the space is to create a reason for people to spend time downtown.
