SYLVANIA, Ohio — If you go out to Monroe Street in Sylvania, you'll notice the traffic cones, the crews and the equipment.
"The city of Sylvania and ODOT decided they needed to widen this section of Monroe Street," Toledo Memorial Park President Jeff Clegg said.
Workers for First Energy are busy replacing telephone lines in preparation for the widening of the street. Unfortunately, the project is forcing the historic stone wall at the park to come down.
"When that gets done, then the rest of the wall will most likely come down and they'll start doing the actual construction," Clegg said.
The wall has stood for nearly 100 years and now has to make way for the poles. The park was going to recognize the wall's centennial anniversary in June, but that has since been canceled due to the upcoming destruction.
"Obviously this is progress and Monroe Street is very busy, and we want to do everything we can to make sure everyone is safe," Clegg said.
Sylvania's director of economic development, Bill Sanford, says the project is a necessary part of the progress of the city.
"You think back, that [Monroe Street] was a one-lane road when the cemetery opened. Now Monroe Street is a main thoroughfare, east and west, through our city, so it's a very tough situation," Sanford said.
Sandford said the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) identified the intersection of Monroe and Harroun as dangerous and mandated it be fixed.
Though the historic wall will be gone, a replica will be designed about 25 feet back from its original spot in a few years. However, Clegg says seeing the original wall gone is saddening.
"We've always considered that beautiful stone wall with the roses growing on it in the springtime as the gateway into Sylvania," he said. "And now, that's all going to be gone."
Clegg says the replica should be built by 2025.
And as for the roses? Clegg says the park is nursing them until the new wall is ready to have them back.