January 4, 200817 yr Riverfront park said to be done by end of 2008 Article published December 28, 2007 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Conceptual drawings released yesterday for the proposed Marina District on the Maumee River's eastern shore show a veritable urban wonderland - happy faces and outdoor performances included. The new pedestrian-friendly "Riverfront Park at Toledo Marina District" is to take shape on a once heavily polluted site that remains home to Toledo Edison's large, decommissioned Acme Generating Station. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20071228/NEWS16/712280335 MARINA DISTRICT PLAN CONCEPTUAL RENDERING
January 21, 200817 yr Financial structure aims to cut city risk Article published January 17, 2008 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER The financing structure to make the Marina District in East Toledo a reality is complicated but ensures the city is not on the hook for the money, officials discussing the project said yesterday. "I know the mayor is committed not to have the city on the hook for these dollars," Councilman Mike Craig said. "What we are going to get back in return is huge. It is something that will draw development." The new pedestrian-friendly "Riverfront Park at Toledo Marina District" is to take shape on a once-heavily polluted site of the decommissioned Acme power plant, formerly owned by Toledo Edison. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20080117/NEWS16/801170363
April 16, 200817 yr East Toledo connects pieces for development plan By CHAUNCEY ALCORN BLADE STAFF WRITER The riverfront drive and park portion of Toledo's Marina District project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year and East Toledo community activists are putting the finishing touches on a plan to capitalize on the development. The city's Local Initiatives Support Corp. awarded a $200,000 grant last year to an East Toledo group called "Connecting the Pieces" coalition, which began meeting in September, 2006, to brainstorm ways East Toledo could profit additionally from the Marina District plan. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20080403/NEIGHBORS02/804020361 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 31, 200817 yr Developer gets control of 58 acres in East Toledo Plan is to use land for Marina District Article published May 21, 2008 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo City Council yesterday handed over 58 acres of city land in East Toledo to Developer Larry Dillin for a planned $320 million Marina District development. The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission yesterday approved $4.9 million in state funds to pay for portions of the new Marina District development. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner said much of the mixed development would not have been possible without that funding. Nine more proposed ordinances dealing with the Marina District must first be approved by the Toledo Board of Education before council can approve the legislation. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20080521/NEWS16/805210400 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 2, 200816 yr Marina District: East Toledo looks to capitalize on riverfront plans Dillin proposal would merge new with old on Front Street June 29, 2008 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Front Street in East Toledo has long been regarded as the dusty and cracked access road to factories, truck depots, and dirty coal docks. The faded asphalt stretch running north-south parallel to the Maumee River cuts along some of the cheapest residential real estate in the city even with the waterfront just a stone's throw away. For years, residents of the Garfield neighborhood, a working-class part of the city that envelops Waite High School, listened to trucks roar by and breathed in fumes and ash. After decades of industrial use, the 125 acres between Front and the river was way too valuable to stay gritty. It is now the site of the proposed $320 million Marina District development. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20080629/NEWS16/554089112
July 3, 200816 yr Article published July 01, 2008 Cleanup to start this week on former Acme plant By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on Tuesday said cleanup of the former Toledo Edison Acme Power Plant in East Toledo’s planned Marina District development would commence this week. Mr. Finkbeiner said the west wing of the building and a section referred to as boiler 16 would be torn down after asbestos removal this summer. The city is using a $3 million Clean Ohio grant, which required a $1 million match from the city. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20080701/NEWS16/551247194 clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
July 9, 200816 yr I just heard rumblings from people in the know that some $400 million in financing is on the way for this project. Now, I'm not sure if that figure includes Tetratech's Swan Creek project (I'd think it'd have to), but this guy knows what he's talking about and I'm going to stay tuned, as he didn't let on as to when an announcement may be forthcoming.
August 7, 200816 yr Article published July 30, 2008 Toledo City Council adds its OK to plans for Marina zone $8.2M sales in notes, public area get nod By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo City Council last night authorized the sale of $8.2 million in notes plus a number of permanent improvements for the $20 million public portion of the riverfront Marina District planned for the city's east side. Developer Larry Dillin, who has committed to the creation of a $320 million private development - including condos, apartments, restaurants, and a hotel - for the Marina District, said the project would not materialize without that public-works project. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20080730/NEWS16/807300398
August 31, 200816 yr Article published August 27, 2008 Retooled Marina plan gets council approval City OKs $3.9M state loan for main road By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo City Council last night set in motion construction of the long-awaited Marina District along the Maumee River on the city's east side with approval of a $3.9 million state loan and a new agreement with Perrysburg developer Larry Dillin. "I have believed for many years the Marina District will reshape the face of Toledo," said Mr. Dillin, who was selected by Mayor Carty Finkbeiner to transform the waterfront property. Council voted 10-2 on both measures - the first to approve the new development agreement with Mr. Dillin and the second to approve a $3.9 million loan from the State Infrastructure Bank. That money will be used to help fund the main road through the Marina District's $20 million public park area along the river. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20080827/NEWS16/808270439
November 3, 200816 yr Article published November 01, 2008 Dillin committed to Marina project Developer says new market analysis could determine next move By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Developer Larry Dillin says he's still committed to the increasingly difficult task of redeveloping once-heavily polluted waterfront property in East Toledo, even in the wake of the financial crisis that has effectively delayed plans. "We haven't received any no answers," Mr. Dillin said this week regarding private financing for his planned $320 million Marina District development along the Maumee River. "That doesn't mean we got a yes - it means we are still in the pipeline," he said. The current Marina District vision, which is now eight years in the making, has appeared near death more than once this year. In August, the plan to develop the 125 acres on the waterfront north of Main Street seemed in jeopardy when Mr. Dillin was unable to secure a letter of credit to back part of the project. Shortly thereafter, a different financing plan was approved by Toledo City Council. MORE: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081101/NEWS16/811010301 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 30, 200916 yr Mayor holds firm on Marina District plan for East Toledo He backs Marina District despite $15M city deficit Article published March 16, 2009 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Despite Toledo's mounting deficit and skyrocketing jobless rate, plus the declining retail market nationwide, city leaders refuse to give up on their most heralded and longest-awaited project: a mix of restaurant, retail, and residential development at the planned Marina District on the east side. And even with a city deficit of at least $15 million that's forcing him to lay off 75 police officers, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner soon could ask City Council to approve $2.5 million in general obligation bonds to help fund the marina development. "The Marina District is not on hold," the mayor said. "The developer is quite optimistic about his producing that which he is committed to by a date certain in March, and he has supporters in the state capitol supporting the Marina District for both state and federal stimulus money." A majority of council last summer approved a new agreement with Perrysburg developer Larry Dillin and borrowing $3.9 million from the state. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20090316/NEWS16/903160306
June 10, 200916 yr Toledo Marina District financing package completed Dillin group to pay $3.6M for 58 acres Article published May 30, 2009 By JON CHAVEZ BLADE STAFF WRITER The long-awaited Toledo Marina District project has a road, a boat dock, and a dockmaster. By the end of the year, it could have a sprawling waterfront park. Developer Larry Dillin said Friday he has assembled a private investor group that will provide $3.6 million to buy 58 acres of the 128-acre site in East Toledo, and that construction could start on the waterfront park by July. At a press conference following a tour of the Marina District site hosted by Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, Mr. Dillin said he expects to buy the land by a Monday deadline, and the city of Toledo will use the $3.6 million to begin construction on the park with completion sometime in 2010. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20090530/NEWS16/905300357
July 1, 200915 yr Article published June 29, 2009 New deal awaits East Toledo Marina project Plan requiring no more city money goes to council Tuesday By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER After several false starts, multiple financing plans, and more than one missed deadline, the Finkbeiner administration says it now has the best deal yet to jump- start the planned mix of private and public investment for a new Marina District in East Toledo. "Absolutely. This is the best structure we have had yet and the thing that is not a part of this - it requires no additional money from the city, so the general obligation bonds we talked about before are no longer necessary," said Dave Amstutz, Toledo's manager of economic development. Toledo City Council has scheduled review tomorrow of legislation authorizing Mayor Carty Finkbeiner to enter into a second amended development agreement with Dillin Riverfront Properties Inc. Under the current plan, Mr. Dillin would get 58 acres on the waterfront in exchange for $3.6 million. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20090629/NEWS16/906290326 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 11, 200915 yr Dillin seeks control of Marina District Developer says it's time for city to step aside, let him run East Toledo project By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER The planned Marina District development in East Toledo has cost taxpayers more than $43 million over the past decade or so - which includes costly cleanup of the once heavily polluted land - and developer Larry Dillin urged council Monday to finally step aside and give him control. MORE: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090707/NEWS16/907070366
July 13, 200915 yr Toledo Council OKs Dillin riverfront land deal Article published July 08, 2009 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo City Council agreed last night to sell 58 acres on the East Toledo riverfront to developer Larry Dillin to pursue his vision for a new Marina District. Council voted 9-2 in favor of a new development agreement with Dillin Riverfront Properties Inc., Mr. Dillin's business, which requires him to pay $3.6 million for the property and begin erecting buildings by Dec. 31, 2010, to prevent losing the property back to the city. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20090708/NEWS16/907080361
July 13, 200915 yr Video of the Marina District from http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6907478
August 31, 200915 yr Maritime museum eyes Toledo Great Lakes Historical Society, Port are in talks to open site Article published August 28, 2009 By NEENA SATIJA BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo's downtown may be getting a world-class museum. The Great Lakes Historical Society has met with the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority Seaport Committee to discuss moving its museum exhibits in Vermilion to the Toledo Maritime Center on Front Street in Toledo's Marina District. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20090828/NEWS16/908280310 PHOTO OF THE TOLEDO MARITIME CENTER
December 7, 200915 yr Marina District to get $2M stimulus; EPA grant to aid in shoreline work Article published December 02, 2009 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER The planned private and public development for a new Marina District in East Toledo will get an additional $2 million shot in the arm from the federal government, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner said yesterday. The federal stimulus money, which is funneled through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, will be used for shoreline improvements along the Maumee River for the once-heavily polluted property the city has attempted to redevelop for more than a decade. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20091202/NEWS16/912020333 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 11, 201015 yr Article published December 23, 2009 Toledo City Council OKs try for marina grant By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF Toledo City Council last night first killed the possibility of receiving a $2.25 million federal grant for the planned private and public Marina District development in East Toledo but then did an about-face and authorized the Finkbeiner administration to apply for the money. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on Dec. 1 announced that the project would get federal stimulus money funneled through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for shoreline improvements along the Maumee River. The city has attempted to redevelop the once heavily polluted property for more than a decade. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20091223/NEWS16/912230362
February 28, 201015 yr Developer Larry Dillin vows to finish projects He awaits marina funds, stability for Southwyck Article published February 24, 2010 By JON CHAVEZ BLADE BUSINESS WRITER Developer Larry Dillin said Tuesday that he is still committed to completing the Toledo Marina District project, and the redevelopment of the former Southwyck Shopping Center. But the man who built Levis Commons in Perrysburg said for work on the projects to proceed, he needs to secure a deal with private equity backers so he can buy property in the Marina District, and he needs “signs” that the economy is turning around. The Marina District, proposed in 2000, is a plan to convert 125 acres on the waterfront north of Main Street in East Toledo into a $320 million mix of apartments, restaurants, and nightclubs along the river. Mr. Dillin plans, once he has the money, to buy the land to build a parklike area where events can be held, add rental housing, and then fill in with retail. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100224/BUSINESS07/100229838 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 14, 201015 yr Article published April 28, 2010 Toledo Council OKs year contract for marina Toledo City Council yesterday voted to hire Brenner 75 Marine LLC for one year to manage the Skyway Marina on the city's east side and the boat docks along both sides of the Maumee River. The Bell administration originally asked council to approve a three-year contract with the company for $124,000 annually. Council revised the contract to a single year during its regular meeting, which followed a 2 1/2-hour hearing on the request. The vote was 11-0. The $6.3 million Skyway Marina, which is part of the city's planned Marina District in East Toledo, has 77 docks, fuel pumps, showers, and a convenience store. The marina, formerly known as the Glass City Municipal Marina, opened in June, 2008. It shares its quarters with a marine passenger terminal developed by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100428/NEWS16/4280354
May 19, 201015 yr Article published May 18, 2010 Toledo Sports Arena acreage OK’d for redevelopment The site of the former Toledo Sports Arena — one of the biggest components of the project known as the Marina District — has been given a green light for redevelopment, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100518/NEWS16/100519738
June 24, 201014 yr IMMEDIATE Contact: Carla Firestone, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority Communications Director Mobile: 419-260-9981 -- Office: 419-243-8251 Christopher Gillcrist - Great Lakes Historical Society - 216-956-9734. Port Authority and Great Lakes Historical Society to create maritime museum on Toledo riverfront TOLEDO, Ohio, June 24, 2010 – The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and the Great Lakes Historical Society entered into an agreement today to work collaboratively to create the National Great Lakes Maritime Museum to be located at the Toledo Maritime Center on the east side of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The venture relocates the Inland Seas Maritime Museum from its current location in Vermillion, Ohio to the Toledo Maritime Center. The agreement also includes partnering with the Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship to create the largest maritime attraction on the Great Lakes, the National Great Lakes Maritime Museum. The Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship will be restored to her original namesake - the Col. James M. Schoonmaker - and relocated to the riverfront adjacent to the museum structure. “As the first Port Authority in the State of Ohio, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority has always been a maritime leader. This agreement allows us to further our goal of establishing the Port of Toledo as the capital of the Great Lakes – past, present and future,” says Paul Toth, President and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “We have found an excellent partner in the Great Lakes Historical Society and we look forward to fostering the perseveration of our local maritime history together.” The Great Lakes Historical Society plans to begin development of the Toledo facility next spring and open for the inaugural season in the spring of 2012. The Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship is scheduled to travel to the Toledo Shipyard for restoration in October 2010. Upon restoration, the Boyer will be returned to her original location adjacent to International Park for the 2011 season in preparation for her centennial celebration which will be July 1, 2011. Upon completion of the 2011 season, the Boyer will be moved to the National Great Lakes Maritime Museum. The Great Lakes Historical Society’s goal over the next decade is to expand the facility to accommodate research activities, to attract traveling exhibits and to broaden educational programming. The museum will also serve as an anchor point for future riverfront development as it is adjacent to Edison Park and the newly developed City of Toledo Marina Drive area. The Great Lakes Historical Society has also begun talks with the City of Toledo regarding the management of the Toledo Skyway Marina, located adjacent to the Toledo Maritime Center. "Toledo's waterfront is a vital component of our quality of life and should play a greater role in economic development. Welcoming the Great Lakes Historical Society is one of many steps toward this goal and will help renew the energy on the riverfront,” said Toledo Mayor Michael P. Bell. “The partnership is a great match for the facility and reflects our maritime history." “This agreement is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by all of the involved parties. The final product, a National Great Lakes Maritime Museum for Toledo, Ohio, will be worth our collective blood, sweat and tears,” said Jim Karpinksi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Great Lakes Historical Society. “I am confident that in ten years we will look back on this moment with tremendous satisfaction.” The Toledo Maritime Center, completed in November 2007, was funded by a Federal Ferry Boat Discretionary Grant, and was created to foster the development of cross-lake ferry service in this region. The museum will allow ferry boat passengers to witness Great Lakes history while waiting to board a vessel. “Our focus has always been on the continued development of ferry service via this facility and adding this historic maritime attraction allows us to fully utilize the space while establishing it as a major destination via waterborne transportation,” says Paul LaMarre, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority Manager of Maritime Affairs. It is the mission of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority to continuously leverage our strategic geographic position, resources and economic development proficiency to provide increased business opportunities—built upon and around our innovative transportation and logistics expertise—while promoting our community and region within the global marketplace. We will accomplish this through unmatched speed and efficiency of service, collaborative and strategic partnerships, community stewardship and the continued generation and execution of new ideas and innovations.
June 27, 201014 yr Pact to bring maritime museum to city in 2012 Article published June 25, 2010 By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and the Great Lakes Historical Society have signed off on an agreement that will bring the society's museum - now in Vermilion, Ohio - to the Toledo Maritime Center, where the S.S. Willis B. Boyer museum ship also will be relocated. During a news conference yesterday at the center in the Marina District near Front Street in East Toledo, port and historical society officials said the planned National Great Lakes Museum will open in 2012 with new exhibits from the society's artifacts, while the Boyer will be cosmetically restored this fall and winter and rechristened next summer with its original name, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100625/NEWS16/6250319
July 25, 201014 yr Urban planting posed for Marina District Article published July 23, 2010 By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Rocks and weeds cover the sloped landscape in East Toledo where, for more than a decade, city of Toledo officials have promised a sprawling development with condominiums and restaurants. Two Toledo councilmen want to see that land used for an urban planting program while the development plans remain stalled from the sour economy and tight commercial lending market. Councilman Joe McNamara and Councilman Mike Craig, whose district includes East Toledo, urged Mayor Mike Bell Thursday to issue a request for an entity to develop an urban agriculture program somewhere on the 128-acre site. The Marina District, proposed in 2000, is a plan to convert heavily polluted land on the waterfront north of Main Street in East Toledo into a $320 million mix of apartments, restaurants, and nightclubs along the river. Full article: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100723/NEWS16/7220383/0/rss10
February 9, 201114 yr Obviously the Dillin project is dead in the water (probably one of Ohio's biggest victims of the recession), but Toledo has managed to attract a lot of attention in China. Mayor Bell went there last summer and wooed some pretty big investors. The city is now working to sell land to overseas investors that it couldn't sell to locals. The two properties that are creating all the buzz are the Docks and Marina District. Article published February 08, 2011 Toledo council OK's Docks sale; Marina District sale memo signed by Mayor Bell By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo City Council voted 10-2 Tuesday afternoon to authorize the Bell administration to sell the The Docks restaurant complex to two Chinese investors. Councilmen D. Michael Collins and Lindsay Webb cast the no votes. Under the deal, the complex would be sold for $2.15 million to the Dashing Pacific Group. The two Chinese investors interested in buying East Toledo's riverfront restaurant complex want the city to know that deal is just the beginning of their multimillion-dollar development plan. The pair of investors, who have been identified as Wu Kin Hung and Yuan Xiaohona, forwarded a memorandum of understanding Monday night to Toledo Mayor Mike Bell pledging their intent to buy and develop part of the once-polluted Marina District in East Toledo into a mix of hotels, restaurants, and condominiums. CONTINUED ON BLADE SITE http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20110208/NEWS16/102080315
March 25, 201114 yr Great news out of the Glass City!!! Published: 3/24/2011 - Updated: 1 day ago Boyer preservation to turn back clock to Schoonmaker BY DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER The preserved Great Lakes freighter S.S. Willis B. Boyer soon will be no more -- but not because of scrapping, as was once threatened. Early next month, P&W Painting of Toledo will begin sandblasting and repainting the vessel and, in so doing, rename it the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, the name it bore at its launch in 1911, said Paul LaMarre III, the museum ship's executive director. The repainting project, which will rely heavily on donated equipment and materials and on a $100,000 cash donation from James M. Schoonmaker II, its past and future namesake's grandson, is scheduled for completion in time for a rechristening ceremony July 1 -- a century after its launch -- and kick off a weekend of celebratory events, Mr. LaMarre said. Already under way, the ship's director said, is an asbestos-removal project that will reopen to the public large portions of the Boyer that have been off-limits for years. Both projects are being done at the ship's Maumee River berth alongside International Park, rather than downriver at the Toledo Shipyard as previously planned. Mr. LaMarre said that will save the time and expense of tows to and from the shipyard. Instead, the only move planned will occur next year, when the Schoonmaker is to shift to a berth at the Toledo Maritime Center, where the Great Lakes Historical Society plans to establish a National Great Lakes Maritime Museum. FULL ARTICLE ON BLADE SITE http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/03/24/Boyer-preservation-to-turn-back-clock-to-Schoonmaker.html
April 10, 201114 yr City to sell most of Marina District Chinese partners will pay $3.8M BY IGNAZIO MESSINA, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 4/9/2011 After a dozen years, three different mayors, and $43 million from taxpayers for cleanup and infrastructure costs, the city of Toledo has a tentative deal to sell more than half of the Marina District development along the east side of the Maumee River, just north of downtown. Dashing Pacific Group Ltd., the Chinese investor-owned firm that has purchased the nearby Docks restaurant complex, has agreed to pay $3.8 million for nearly 69 acres of the once-polluted property in East Toledo. The company plans to build a mix of residential and commercial buildings, inside an "international village," the value of which could eventually top $200 million, Toledo's Deputy Mayor of Operations Steve Herwat said. . . . Dashing Pacific Group, in the agreement, will give the city "a conditional repurchase option" five years after the sale if the property has not been developed. The agreement also gives the group an option to buy the decommissioned Toledo Edison Acme power plant, which lies north of the 69 acres being sold. READ MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/04/09/City-to-sell-most-of-Marina-District.html
April 13, 201114 yr Marina District proposals swirled for a dozen years City eager for action on east-side site BY IGNAZIO MESSINA, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 4/10/2011 In China, development happens fast. A popular Internet video shows workers in Changsha, Hunan province, building a 15-story hotel in just six days. In Toledo — more than 12 years of planning, promises, and $43 million of public money spent — the east side property called the Marina District is apparently close to getting its first private development. "We look forward to the day when vertical growth occurs," Toledo Deputy Mayor of Operations Steve Herwat said. Toledo has lined up new developers — apparently with a $3.8 million check in hand — who want to buy and build up the once polluted former industrial land along the Maumee River in East Toledo. After more than a dozen years of planning and several let-downs, most people are eager for some private development at the 125-acre site. But exactly what will be built there by Chinese investor-owned Dashing Pacific Group Ltd., if City Council approves the sale, is still unknown. READ MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/04/10/Marina-District-proposals-swirled-for-a-dozen-years.html
April 17, 201114 yr Hello everyone. Im new to UrbanOhio so im probably going to post comments on a bunch of old topics but whateva. This is basically how I feel about the Marina District... This huge stretch of land is really valuable property. Im really excited about all the possibilities for development here, however I dislike all the plans ive seen so far. I remember at one point someone suggested basically making a commericial development of big-box style retail. I dont know how many "urbanists" there are on this website yet, but I think this idea is an obvious NO to anyone with any common-sense when it comes to planning. Then there was Larry Dillins plan. I didnt think this plan was that bad but I wasnt all about it either. It basically came across to me like a artificial urban-esque development. Dont get me wrong, it wasnt bad, but it basically just reminded me of a typical lifestyle center mall with residential. The design was decent though. I was happy that Dillin had it in mind that the Marina District should mesh with the rest of the adjacent neighborhood. Thats the right thinking. Ive only seen a few renderings but it looked like he had park-like areas extending across the street towards Waite High School. That would do well to fuse the areas together. The latest talk, of the Chinese developers, Dashing Pacific Groups plan......I think is completely stupid. Im not opposed to foreign developers taking over the project, although I do think its preferable to give that business to local developers. I can get over that. I just absolutely hate their plans. Their plans dont even look as cohesive as a normal Lifestyle Center developers. The worst part is the architecture and theme. The whole international village idea is just dumb, im sorry. In the renderings I saw, it all looked like a mix of more modern asian architecture, as well as the traditional looking pagoda style roofs and latterns and what not. I think thats utterly ridiculous. Nothing about that fits in with Toledo. It reminds me more of Epcot Center at Disney World, than something befitting a Midwestern American city. I love the idea of ethnic neighborhoods, but only when they occur organically, and exists in buildings that still make sense aesthetically to the city and region. These plans make this place look too touristy in its retail business sections, and the rendering I saw of apartments was atrociously clean and modern looking and the layout wasnt sensible. I just feel like these developers dont have any understanding of whats better for Toledo as a whole. Theyre business people, and obviously money is the bottom line but it doesnt help that theyre from the other side of the world. This development doesnt effect them on any personal level whatsoever. They never have to be remotely near it, let alone utilize it. I just hate how most ideas thrown out there make the Marina District, an isolated, rather exclusive seeming development. It would be a safe, exclusive, enclave of shopping, dining, and entertainment........that the residents of the actual East Side would have little use for. Not that the Marina District needs to be everything East Siders will use.......but I have a feeling that in its current state of plans...........it would mostly just wind up being another type of Fallen Timbers or Levis Commons. A place where people from Perrysburg, Sylvania, Maumee, Monclova Twp, etc, come to get dinner, maybe some starbucks or cold stone, and basically feel like theyre enjoying an awesome "night out on the town".....a great urban experience. :roll: The kinds of people who are populating the actual Downtown area of Toledo are mostly young professionals, college kids, artists, hipster types, and maybe even some empty nesters looking to downsize and live an urban lifestyle. Most of these demographics arent going to be interested in living over on the other side of the river, where the only things to do are in this new development. Theyre most attracted to the character and vibe of the apartments and lofts and condos they can find Downtown. Its just not smart planning. Its not ideally what people would want down here. If I were planning this development, I would have all the streets essentially just be extentions of the streets across Front St. The development would mostly just be standard square or rectangular blocks. This would help make it feel more seamless of a transition across Front St, making this new Marina District a true neighborhood of East Toledo. I would make it the most dense near the intersection of Main St and Front St. I think it should be a point to make the areas where you plan on having the most visitors and pedestrians walking around, near Main St, so that some of these people stroll up Main St, into the existing Central Business District of East Toledo. This would help support development and revitalization on Main St, and support a thriving "Downtown East Toledo" so to speak. The problem is when theres empty space in any city around here, it seems like people have this gut instinct telling them GET RID OF IT IMMEDIATELY. SELL TO ANYONE. Thats the wrong mentality though. People feel like, well "some developments better than no development" I feel thats absolutely incorrect. If you have a valuable property right in the center of the city, you dont just fork it over to the first person who can afford it and has some kind of plan for it. You save it for the RIGHT plan. Whats the right plan then? I think the city of Toledo should consult the citizens of the city, as well as real urban planners who are experienced in smart growth, and come up with a plan that represents TOLEDO, for Toledo.
April 19, 201114 yr About that sale of Marina District property to the Chinese . . . nevermind: Chinese 'reassessing' purchase of Marina Mayor puts blame on city council BY TOM TROY, BLADE POLITICS WRITER Published: 4/16/2011 Toledo Mayor Mike Bell on Friday said that Chinese investors have withdrawn their offer to buy the Marina District, a reversal that the mayor blamed on Toledo City Council and which he said raised questions about Toledoans’ understanding of the global marketplace. The mayor said he still hopes to work out a sale deal and save the promised $200 million commercial and residential development, but he said the investors are “reassessing” whether they want to go forward with the deal to purchase a 69-acre portion of the Marina District in East Toledo for $3.8 million. “In layman terms, what that means is that we don’t have a deal now,” Mr. Bell said at a news conference on Friday. “In order for us to move forward as a city, we have to realize that we are competing globally.” He blamed the most recent decision on restrictions Toledo City Council wanted to impose on the sale during a contentious hearing Tuesday. READ MORE: http://toledoblade.com/local/2011/04/16/Chinese-reassessing-purchase-of-Marina-2.html
April 20, 201114 yr In the renderings I saw, it all looked like a mix of more modern asian architecture, as well as the traditional looking pagoda style roofs and latterns and what not. I think thats utterly ridiculous. Nothing about that fits in with Toledo. Agreed. The architecture is completely out of place in Toledo, or anywhere in the Midwest for that matter. It sounds like this project is going down anyway, so back to the drawing board. Dillin by far had the best proposal after his revisions (denser, more integrated into the Garfield neighborhood, better architecture, better water access, etc.). Hopefully we get something great at this site. Then there was Larry Dillins plan. I didnt think this plan was that bad but I wasnt all about it either. It basically came across to me like a artificial urban-esque development. Dont get me wrong, it wasnt bad, but it basically just reminded me of a typical lifestyle center mall with residential. The design was decent though. I was happy that Dillin had it in mind that the Marina District should mesh with the rest of the adjacent neighborhood. Thats the right thinking. Ive only seen a few renderings but it looked like he had park-like areas extending across the street towards Waite High School. That would do well to fuse the areas together. Dillin ended up revising his plans right before the crash. His original proposal was weak (too suburban), but his revision was outstanding. It would have been the best urban infill in the state.
May 31, 201114 yr Looks like the Marina District property sale to the Chinese deal is back from the dead... Chinese investors renew interest in purchasing Marina District BY IGNAZIO MESSINA, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 5/26/2011 HANGZHOU, China — Mayor Mike Bell wrapped up his nine-day trip to China announcing here on Thursday that the deal to sell property in the east side Marina District is back on and the interested Chinese investors want an option to purchase even more land on the waterfront site. Dashing Pacific Group Ltd., which has already purchased the nearby Docks restaurant complex for $2.15 million, put its $3.8 million offer to buy the southern 69 acres at the Marina District in East Toledo back on the table for approval by Toledo City Council. Additionally, Dashing Pacific Chairman Yuan Xiaohong, in a letter signed in Hangzhou, said the firm wants a two-year option to buy the decommissioned Toledo Edison power plant property on the site. READ MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/05/26/Chinese-investors-renew-interest-in-purchasing-Marina-District.html
May 31, 201114 yr City Council unanimously approves Marina District sale BY TOM TROY, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 5/31/2011 Toledo City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the sale of a 69-acre parcel of land in the Marina District to Dashing Pacific Group Ltd. City Council, in its afternoon meeting, voted 12-0 to sell the land to the Chinese investment group. READ MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/05/31/City-Council-unanimously-approves-Marina-District-sale.html
June 1, 201114 yr Lengthier follow-up article from the Blade about the sale... Toledo council OKs sale of Marina to Chinese Dashing Pacific to pay $3.8M for 69-acre site BY TOM TROY, BLADE POLITICS WRITER Published: 6/1/2011 Following a meeting in which some concerns about the use of union labor were allayed, Toledo City Council Tuesday unanimously approved the sale of a 69-acre portion of the Marina District in East Toledo to Chinese investment firm Dashing Pacific Group Ltd. for $3.8 million. Mayor Mike Bell, who had traveled to China partly to woo the two investors after they appeared to back out of the deal, expressed appreciation for council's vote. He said construction activity could start in three to six months. "I am extremely appreciative of council and the vote they gave today," Mr. Bell said following the 12-0 decision. "We are trying to change Toledo and it is very good from the standpoint of mayor to have the unanimous support of council to be able to move forward with this project, because I believe it will change the destiny of Toledo." During a morning meeting of council's economic development committee, Bill Rudolph, chairman of Rudolph/Libbe Cos., said he has an agreement on a letter of intent with Wu King Hung and Yuan Xiaohong, the two members of Dashing Pacific, to be the construction manager of the $200 million to $300 million project Dashing Pacific has planned. Mr. Rudolph said he is not aware of any other construction general contractors in Ohio that use more union labor than Rudolph/Libbe. He stopped short of saying only union workers would be employed on the job, but said the project would be handled like other Rudolph/Libbe projects in which union skilled trades workers are employed. READ MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/06/01/Toledo-council-OKs-sale-of-Marina-to-Chinese.html
June 7, 201114 yr This is excellent news. I also think once this project gets deeper in the planning phase, we will see some revisions to make it fit in better with its surroundings. And perhaps the best thing is that they're planning to save the Acme!
June 20, 201113 yr Despite an extremely rainy spring, they've made a lot of progress on the ship. You can see the work when traveling across the High-Level Bridge. Published: 6/19/2011 - Updated: 1 day ago Toledo museum ship only days away from regaining 1911 name BY SARA FELSENSTEIN BLADE STAFF WRITER At 11:30 a.m. on July 1, 1911, Gretchen V. Schoonmaker smashed a bottle of champagne against the bow of the S.S. Col. James M. Schoonmaker, christening the ship in her father’s name. On July 1, at precisely the same time, Colonel Schoonmaker’s grandson, James M. Schoonmaker II, and his wife Treecie will do the exact same thing 100 years later on the bow of the newly renovated freighter, proving that history often comes full circle. Rechristening the ship, better known to Toledoans as the S.S. Willis B. Boyer, will kick off a weekend of events that will feature public tours of the vessel, a boxing match on deck, and Toledo’s Independence Day fireworks show on July 3. The War of 1812 privateer Lynx will be on hand as well, making a special trip to Toledo to salute the Schoonmaker and then offer tours and sailing trips during the weekend. But because of persistent rains that have slowed work on the Schoonmaker, it will close again afterward and will not reopen to the public until Aug. 1, said Paul C. LaMarre III, the museum ship’s executive director. Sandblasting in preparation for the vessel’s repainting into the orange and green of the Shenango Furnace Co. began April 4, and for at least 40 of the next 55 days, Toledo had rain, Mr. LaMarre said. FULL ARTICLE AND PICTURES ON BLADE SITE http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/06/19/Toledo-museum-ship-only-days-away-from-regaining-1911-name-2.html
December 15, 201113 yr Great Lakes museum plan is poised for Toledo launch BY ERICA BLAKE BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 12/9/2011 A dream announced in 2010 to create the National Great Lakes Maritime Museum on the banks of the Maumee River is closer to happening thanks to more than $6 million awarded to the project from the state. The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission has approved $6,075,000 for the project. The money will be used by the city of Toledo and the Great Lakes Historical Society, which has its headquarters in Vermilion, to develop the Marina District site. "We still have to raise money, and we're in that process, but the big hurdle has been climbed," said historical society executive director Chris Gillcrist. The Great Lakes Maritime Museum contracted with the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority to move from Vermilion to the port-owned Toledo Maritime Center, off Front Street in the Marina District. The total project is expected to cost about $8.5 million. Included in the East Toledo development will be a maritime park with outdoor exhibits and the interior renovation of the existing Skyway Marina building to house exhibits for the National Great Lakes Maritime Museum. The freighter, the SS Col. James M. Schoonmaker, formerly the SS Willis B. Boyer, will be its showcase exhibit. Originally set to open next year, the National Great Lakes Maritime Museum's debut was pushed back to May, 2013. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/12/09/Great-Lakes-museum-plan-is-poised-for-Toledo-launch.html
February 11, 201213 yr Toledo's cleanup of Acme power plant approved State EPA OKs site for commercial use BY DAVID PATCH, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 2/3/2012 The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has approved the city of Toledo's cleanup of the former Toledo Edison Acme Generating Station site in East Toledo by issuing a "covenant not to sue." The covenant means that, as long as the former power plant site is redeveloped and maintained in accordance with certain restrictions, the city and any future property owners are not legally responsible to the state of Ohio for any additional environmental investigation or remediation. According to an OEPA statement, the 3.84-acre Acme site at 1522 Front St. is now suitable for commercial or industrial redevelopment following the removals of soil contaminated with arsenic and benzopyrene at two locations and, from the former power plant, materials containing asbestos. (. . .) The decommissioned power plant was the last part of the Marina District site to be cleared of environmental pollution. Part of the structure was torn down for its cleanup, while much of its outer brick shell is proposed to be reused in the new development. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/02/03/Toledo-s-cleanup-of-Acme-power-plant-approved.html
February 20, 201213 yr More reports about the Great Lakes Maritime Museum proposal to move from Vermilion into the port authority owned Toledo Maritime Center in the Marina District: ABC 13 NEWS: Proposal brings Maritime Museum to Toledo WTOL 11 NEWS: Council to vote on Maritime Museum project Tuesday TOLEDO BLADE: Great Lakes group asks Toledo for funds
April 9, 201213 yr Well this is certainly disappointing news. Especially since the City of Toledo acted like the Acme Power Plant would be reused as part of the Marina District redevelopment up until this announcement. Acme plant to be demolished City solicits 5 bids for work at abandoned ex-Edison site BY CLAUDIA BOYD-BARRETT, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 4/5/2012 What some see as a giant red-bricked eyesore in East Toledo's Marina District soon could be only a memory. City of Toledo officials said Thursday they are moving forward with plans to demolish the abandoned Toledo Edison Acme power plant, which sits alongside the Maumee River on the former industrial site. Tim Murphy, environmental services commissioner, said the city has solicited bids from five contractors to tear down the plant, located on 3.84 acres at 1522 Front St., and will start reviewing them next Tuesday. If any of the firms can meet the city's price limit — $35,000 for the job — demolition could start within two to three weeks, the commissioner said. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/04/05/City-to-raze-Toledo-Acme-plant.html
April 21, 201213 yr More about the city's demolition of the Acme Power Plant at the Marina District. City of Toledo to demolish 2 buildings Razing of east side plant, north end mall to start in May BY CLAUDIA BOYD-BARRETT, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 4/19/2012 Demolition of two giant Toledo eyesores on separate sides of the city is expected to begin next month, a Toledo official said Wednesday. The abandoned Toledo Edison Acme power plant in East Toledo's Marina District and the former North Towne Square mall on the city's north side are slated for demolition starting mid-May, brownfield redevelopment officer Joel Mazur said. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/04/19/City-of-Toledo-to-demolish-2-buildings.html
April 21, 201213 yr With the Acme plant going down, I am hopeful plans to rehab the old steam power plant downtown (behind Key Bank) will move forward.
September 10, 201212 yr It's absolutely terrible the Acme Plant is being torn down. It was a landmark with a ton of potential. First Libbey High School (and all the other historic school buildings), now this...very depressing what's happening to Toledo. Though I guess the city is tearing down in suburban annex areas with equal fervor. Just as many modern school buildings have been leveled and now this is two malls gone. For a while in the late 90's to mid-2000's, it seemed like Toledo was doing everything it could to save the urban core while letting the suburban annex areas rot. Now everything is rotting.
October 26, 201212 yr Couple of updates from Toledo News Now (aka WTOL-TV). Both are related to the future National Museum of the Great Lakes going into the Marina District. Groundbreaking for the Museum took place last month. Moving of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker museum ship to its new Marina District location is scheduled to take place tomorrow. Videos for both updates at the links below: ToledoNewsNow: Toledo officials break ground on Great Lakes museum ToledoNewsNow: Preparation underway to move Schoonmaker Saturday
November 1, 201212 yr The Schoonmaker has been moved to the Marina District. I'm sure Toledo will miss its old location and the great views it afforded, but hopefully the new berth offers some nice ones too. The Blade got some great shots of the move! http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2012/10/27/800x600_b1cCM/S-S-Schoonmaker-MLK-bridge.jpg http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2012/10/27/800x600_b1cCM/S-S-Schoonmaker-skyline.jpg Toledo should get another classic freighter to put at the old berth! Sadly it's too late for the MV Maumee, but maybe one of the other endangered ones can be saved. The more classic freighters saved, the better. They make great tourist attractions and ships this beautiful will never be built again. *Any updates on the Marina District? Do any local people have photos of the new ship location?
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