TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo City Council on Wednesday approved more than $900,000 to help save a historic church that has sat empty in the city for years by turning it into a recreational space.
The $910,099 in funding, which the Lucas County Land Bank and community members campaigned for, is an effort to ensure a nearly 150-year-old St. Anthony Church stays standing and useful in central Toledo as the future of other historic churches in the city remains uncertain.
Two council members, Cerssandra McPherson and Adam Martinez, objected, making the final vote 9-2. McPherson said she does not oppose restoring and repurposing the vacant church, but believes American Rescue Plan funds could be better used elsewhere. She also expressed concern about the city being able to maintain the church-turned-recreation center because the city struggles to maintain the community centers it currently owns as is.
Council also took a step forward in the battle against food insecurity, requesting the city's planning commission to study how to fill in food deserts with businesses selling healthy and affordable products.
That effort coincides with the city's plan to hire for a new position: food policy manager. Their main responsibilities would include auditing Toledo's food environment and creating a commission of people in the food industry to tackle the problem. The salary for this position, which council member Brittany Jones says the city intends to fill by the end of the year, will range between $75,000 and $106,000.
Council also approved $1,370,350 for public lead service line replacements. This is part of a nationwide mandate by the Environmental Protection Agency to replace the lines in about 10 years time.
Other items council passed:
- $29,000 to install permanent blue light cameras, a policing initiative where cameras emit a blue light to indicate to the public the area is under surveillance
- $50,000 to settle personal injury claims made by Angela Sobczak
- $150,000 for a grocery store construction incentive
- $75,000 to support the 2025 Italian Bowl, which is returning to Toledo, as a sponsor
- $175,000 for the Bandore Park Stream Restoration Project in the Ottawa Hills neighborhood
- $48,000 to improve the Wayne Snow Gateway, which sits by Washington Street and Indiana Avenue
