ASHLAND — The multi-family house, next to the recently-demolished Eagle gas station on West Liberty Street, could be razed soon.
The Ashland County Land Reutilization Corporation, also known as the land bank, held a meeting last week to vote on purchasing the long-described blighted property.
Under the proposed deal, which has yet to be voted on by Ashland City Council, the city and land bank would split the $70,000 purchase price, each paying $35,000 for the structure at 511 West Liberty St. The land bank would then foot the bill for demolition.
Bill Harvey, the land bank’s manager, said it’s too early to know how much it would cost to demolish the house.
The plan is to turn the parcel into a parking lot for U.S. Postal Service employees, Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said. The Eagle gas station, demolished earlier this year, is not large enough for a parking lot, Miller said.
“So for the short-term, it could be used by post office employees for parking. Long term, it will serve as an important site for future economic development. After all, that is a high-traffic corner. You never know who might be interested in the lot once it’s cleaned up,” he said.
Miller said he has received several complaints about the lack of parking at the post office, a building along Claremont Avenue which utilizes a lot currently abutting up against West Liberty Street.
‘It needs a lot of work’
The land bank is involved in the deal because of the house’s condition, Miller said.
“I would say it’s considered blight,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve heard people say that they’ve felt the house was in worse condition than the abandoned gas station beside it.”
Cleaning up the Eagle gas station has been a priority for Miller since being elected as mayor. The city bought the property from the land bank in 2019, received a $250,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Development in 2021 and demolished it earlier this year.
The house next door has also been in Miller’s and the land bank’s cross hairs. Miller said he made contact with owners about painting and making repairs.
“But it never happened,” he said. “It needs a lot of work.”
The house sold for $40,000 in May to Pyper LLC, according to county property records.
Miller said he made contact with the new owner, who said she’d be willing to negotiate a selling price.
The deal is still in its early stages, Miller said. City council will need to vote on the agreement if Pyper LLC agrees.
The owner of Pyper LLC and the house’s tenant were not immediately available to comment.