Paulding County Economic Development Press Release May 14, 2025
PAULDING – The Paulding County Land Reutilization Committee (Land Bank) gathered for their May meeting recently. The group worked through a full agenda of open project updates, current project planning, and discussed what future projects could look like.
Matt Wagner, with Tetra Tech Environmental group, shared updates on several brownfield-funded projects:
- The former grain mill building in Antwerp, located on the Patriot Railroad-owned site, has been removed. The last piece will be site finish work to make space for the grain wagon and grain truck parking.
- The former JJ Ross gas station building, located in Grover Hill, has been removed. The site has been backfilled with stone, however, soil sampling has indicated petroleum in some soil, so further testing will be required. Once the data results are reviewed, it will help determine how much additional soil will still need to be removed. The remaining pieces of the cement parking lot will also be removed during final site completion.
- The Paulding Village owned Stokely pond property remediation is temporarily on hold awaiting results in regard to pond depth. The weather has played havoc with getting a boat out on the water to determine water depth. Knowing the depth will help the excavation team develop and understand a required work plan.
- The Paulding Village-owned utility building, at the corner of Perry and Main Streets, is awaiting state funding approval for asbestos remediation to make it a clean building and an easier discussion for its future.
The former Grizzley Brake facility property is now being remediated by its owners own environmental team, T&M Associates. Owner Arvin Environmental has recently allowed their environmental team on site to draw soil samples on the residential properties, located on the east side of the property. Results are expected soon and will help determine next steps. Additional testing will continue to take place inside the 33 acre fenced area.
Maumee Valley Planning Organization partner Abby White then shared updates in regard to the Residential/Commercial Revitalization Program. Some of the bigger projects are in process or are already in the queue for demolition:
- The removal of the 11 trailers, on the Land Bank owned property located at the north end of Main Street in Paulding, has begun. Dangler Excavation started removing trailers and the cement pads they sit on. Once this project completes the surface will be levelled, filled with topsoil and planted to grass until future development is determined.
- Following the trailer court project, Dangler will move forward with remediation at the Paulding County Library Annex building at 119 S. Main Street in Paulding; former car wash building, located at 316 S. Main Street in Antwerp; and the tile barn building located at 204 Harrmann Road in Antwerp, near the school.
- The fencing is around the perimeter of the former Faith Alive church building located at 220 N. Williams Street in Paulding. The clearing of this site will make room for the future Paulding VFW veterans’ memorial. Guest John Daeger attended, representing the VFW, and shared concerns about verifying compacting of backfill soil. This is critical for the setting of some of the granite memorial pillars. White will confirm compaction with the demolition team, Advance Demolition of McClure, Ohio, which was awarded the bid for this project.
Discussion from White then turned to estimating remaining funds from the $500,000 county allocation and identifying a next round of potential projects.
The committee then discussed additional grant funds. Indication from the Ohio Department of Development is that Paulding County has been awarded $300,000 of Welcome Home Ohio (WHO) grant funds. Unlike the demolition funding, these funds must be used to rehabilitate properties or residential structures. As the legal documentation is completed, the committee discussed several opportunities for current Land Bank-owned properties and potential new purchases to identify the best use of the funds. No decisions were made at this time.
The next meeting will take place on June 11 at 8:30 am in the commissioner’s office.
