Akron City Council approved $312,770 for demolition work at 11 condemned commercial properties across the city. The sites were condemned after their owners failed to meet city code requirements for vacant commercial and industrial structures. Demolition dates had not been set as of Monday.
Two Contractors Split the Work
Council split the demolition work between two companies, according to Signal Akron. Ray Bertolini Trucking Co. will handle five of the properties for $213,050, while Butcher & Son Excavating will tear down the remaining six for $99,720. All 11 buildings were cited for failing to maintain minimum standards for safety, the outlet reports.
Jodie Forester, compliance administrator for Akron's Housing Compliance Division, said demolition dates have not yet been set for any of the sites. Once the buildings come down, the city tacks the demolition costs onto the property owners' taxes rather than seizing the land outright — the owners keep the now-empty lots. Under Ohio law, a municipality may certify qualifying costs to the county auditor; once certified, they become a lien on the property effective from the date incurred and are collected as taxes, per the Ohio Revised Code.
A West Akron Example
One of the sites is the 1,080-square-foot former Church's Chicken at 1261 Copley Road in West Akron.
In Sherbondy Hill, the twin buildings at 558 and 560 Vernon Odom Boulevard sit at the corner of Vernon Odom and Mallison Avenue, about two blocks from the Vernon Odom Branch Library. They once housed the Rubber City Jukebox Bar and Grill and the Hi-De-Ho Lounge. Rubber City Lounge LLC bought the properties on April 5, 2024, and they were scheduled for demolition just five days later, on April 10.
Kenmore and Beyond
Two Kenmore Boulevard properties made the list as well. The commercial building at 1030 and 1032 Kenmore Boulevard, purchased by David W. Jones in 1999, was approved for demolition in November 2025. Just down the street, Family First Ministries purchased the site at 1149 Kenmore Boulevard as recently as October — the newest ownership change among the 11 properties.
Other sites include 409 and 411 W. Thornton Street, bought by Emmanuel Homes LLC in 2018 and approved for demolition in 2023; 348 Cole Avenue, approved for demolition in June 2022 after its current owner purchased it in 2001; and 198 Cuyahoga Street, owned by 198 Cuyahoga Street LLC and approved for demolition in 2023. That Cuyahoga Street address has a layered past — Ewald's Grocery operated there during the 1920s and 1930s, and a series of churches occupied the building in the 1980s.
Little Ministries LLC owns the property at 1097 Bellows Street, the former site of Southside Garage, which was approved for demolition in July 2024. And at 1284 W. Waterloo Road, a building that once housed the now-closed Mike's Market was approved for demolition in 2020 after last changing hands in 2017.
Part of a Broader Demolition Push
The new contracts arrive as Akron continues a sustained push to clear condemned structures citywide. The city had already demolished 87 vacant properties in 2025 and planned to reach roughly 140 by year's end, nearly double its recent annual average, according to News 5 Cleveland. Grant money from the Ohio Department of Development covered much of that cost, with the city budgeting between $400,000 and $500,000 from its own funds to cover the rest.
Commercial and industrial properties typically land on the city's demolition track after Akron's Housing Compliance Division recommends them to the Vacant Commercial or Industrial Building Appeals Board, according to the City of Akron. For residential properties, the Housing Appeals Board handles demolition recommendations and appeals of Environmental Health Housing Code orders; buildings more than 60% deteriorated are commonly referred to that board, the city's sanitarian supervisor has said. Vacant commercial and industrial structures must also be registered with the city under Section 154.07, per Akron's rules on vacant building registration.
What the Demolition Record Shows
The News 5 figures cited above provide a 2025 snapshot, not a confirmed total for 2023–25: they report 87 demolitions at that point in 2025 and a year-end target, but do not establish the completed count across all three years. The City of Akron says its Vacant Commercial or Industrial Building Appeals Board reviews properties the Housing Compliance Division recommends for demolition and appeals of registration orders. In a separate case, the board rescinded a 2021 demolition order at its April 9, 2025, meeting, according to City of Akron records.
The Summit County Land Bank describes Ohio’s Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program as providing nearly $150 million in grants for demolishing commercial and residential buildings and revitalizing surrounding properties. That program description does not identify Akron’s award or establish that state grants are funding these 11 contracts; the citywide reporting cited above gives a local budget range but no corresponding state amount.
