$500K secured for Maui Sands demolition

SANDUSKY — There's new hope Erie County will be able to do something about one of the area's most prominent properties in ruins Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that Erie County has received $500,000 of demolition funds to deal with Maui Sands. The former water park, located at 5513 Milan Road (U.S. 250), has been closed for years. People can find the decrepit structure at a prominent location at the intersection of two highways: on U.S. 250 just north of Ohio 2. DeWine announced the award as part of $55 million given out across Ohio for demolition and brownfield remediation projects. It wasn't immediately clear if the $500,000 would cover the entire expense of demolishing the defunct site. Local officials had been expecting the demolition funds and had been waiting for news. "We're definitely happy," county commissioner Matt Old said. "Something will happen on that site. We'll be able to clean up that corner." Plans call for demolition to be carried out before July 1, although it's possible it will be done before then, said Ellen Schirg, executive director of the Erie County Land Reutilization Corp., which is also known as the county land bank. Schirg also works as a county planner. Schirg said it's good news that the eyesore will be removed. The first step, Schirg said, will be to complete remediation of possible hazardous substances, such as asbestos and lead. Then the demolition can actually be carried out. It's unclear what the site's current owner, Sinmier LLC of Farmington, Michigan, plans to do with the site. But the owners have talked about redevelopment, possibly for entertainment or a new hotel, Schirg said. Schirg led efforts to obtain the grant, assisted by Old, by county commissioner Pat Shenigo and by county treasurer Caleb Stidham. All three elected officials been active in helping the land bank, Schirg said. "We applied for this in April," Schirg said. "It's been a while, about six months we've waited for some kind of answer." "We recognize the importance of this property, given its location near the corner of U.S. 250 and (Ohio) 2," Stidham said. "We have worked to find a solution that works best for the community, taxpayers, and owners of the site. It's exciting to see these dollars come through." The deal between the county land bank and owners of the property gives protections to taxpayers if the site is not developed within a reasonable period. "We want to support growth and development in Erie County, but we also want to protect taxpayer dollars," Shenigo said. "This agreement works towards both those ends."