Cheviot Mayor Sam Keller says the city could be five to seven years away from taking over the long-vacant Sunshine Cleaners property. The building, near Cheviot's gateway by Westwood, has lost about half its structure after repeated car crashes, and city leaders have spent years seeking its repair or demolition, according to Local 12 (WKRC).
The building has been struck by cars several times, and those crashes forced a partial collapse that left about half of the structure gone, according to WKRC. The outlet reports the building has sat vacant for a long time and describes it as a persistent safety and redevelopment headache at a key entrance.
The property owner is serving time in federal prison for fraud, according to WKRC. The station identifies the owner's imprisonment as one of several complications for city leaders.
Environmental Hurdles Stand Between Cheviot and a Takeover
Before a city takeover can proceed, extensive environmental work is expected, Keller told WKRC. He said the site needs a level one and a level two study.
What environmental review can involve
As general context—not confirmation that Sunshine Cleaners is using this program—Ohio EPA's Voluntary Action Program describes a Phase I review of a property's historical and current uses. If there is reason to believe contamination exists, a Phase II assessment may involve sampling soil, groundwater, soil gas, surface water and sediment, as necessary.
Keller estimated that Cheviot could take another five to seven years to take over the property. He said the city is actively working to address the situation.
A Cheviot Landmark With Deep Roots
The art-deco building was constructed in 1930 for a DeSoto-Plymouth-Studebaker car dealership, before its later use by a dry cleaner, according to Kroner Dry Cleaners.
Sunshine Cleaners moved to Cheviot from Northside in 1963 and became a neighborhood fixture, Kroner reports. When Kroner bought Sunshine's customer list and inventory, Sunshine was using about one-third of the building and its Cheviot business had declined 20 percent over the previous six years. Kroner's founder said the company was buying the business, not the building.
