NORTHWOOD, OH (WTOL) - The end is nigh for the Toledo-area's first large-scale enclosed shopping mall.
Very soon, the last remaining buildings of the old Woodville Mall in Northwood will finally being demolished.
This week, crews began removing asbestos from the old Anderson's building, they will then move onto the old JC Penney property.
The process will take about two months to complete, but has to be done before full-scale demolition can begin.
Bob Anderson, City of Northwood Administrator, says the asbestos removal is taking up the majority of the project's funding.
"Three-quarters of the total cost of demolition, which is approximately $2 million, has to do with asbestos abatement. That's how expensive it is," said Anderson.
The city was able to get a brownfield loan to help fund the project.
Northwood is hopeful the entire plot will be cleared by early 2018.
Then the city plans on rezoning the large property to planned unit development, to give the city a wide range of options for future development.
"We'll look at any plan that somebody comes to us with. We're still undecided as to the ultimate final use of the property, but we're going to try to develop it and not let it sit there very long," said Anderson.
