SIDNEY — On Thursday, the I-Team watched construction crews tear down an old water tower.
It’s one of the last structures crews have torn down at the old Wagner Foundry in Sidney.
The owners are long gone. The property’s now in the hands of the county land bank.
Demolition crews make it look much different now compared to when the I-Team first reported on this project more than two years ago.
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“Yes, there were 12 buildings here, five of which had collapsed and some were in partial collapse. So, yes, we’ve come a long way,” said Doug Ahlers, Shelby County Land Bank executive director.
The land bank and others have since received money Ohio set aside for this kind of work.
“We’ve got $2.8 million through the land bank. And I believe the city got a grant for a million also,” Ahlers said.
The foundry used to make cast iron and cast aluminum cookware here that sold worldwide.
But it went silent years ago and sat vacant, rotting away neighbors were frustrated.
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“Because of the mess and all the homeless people and everybody running in and out over there,” Daisy Bowman said.
They are happy to see it go.
“It’s fabulous. There’s a lot of potential for the ground after it is cleaned,” Charles Bowman said.
“It’s sad to see that part of history come down,” Jerry Wagner III said. “But it’s it’s all part of progress. It’s part of the city growing. And it’s nice to see that this area is going to be redeveloped.”
The last owner of the property owes taxpayers more than $286,000 in back property taxes, but the county won’t see any of that money.
The corporation that owned it before the land bank stopped paying property taxes declared bankruptcy and dissolved years ago.
There is no one to collect money from.
The site will be ready for redevelopment in June so it can be sold and be put back on the tax roll.
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