The City of Akron is hitting pause, but not stop, on demolition plans at 1200 Firestone.
City officials say asbestos remediation is nearly finished, but demolition won’t begin until outstanding issues with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are resolved. After a recent meeting with SHPO, Akron is now preparing several possible options focused on preserving some form of the historic clock tower.
Those options will be presented to the Urban Design and Historic Preservation Committee at a special meeting on Feb. 17. Because that meeting is still weeks away, the city has requested more time from SHPO to formally respond to a dispute letter sent last fall.
Until a revised agreement is approved, Akron is not eligible for reimbursement from Ohio Department of Development funds previously awarded for demolition.
City leaders are weighing several paths forward, including:
- Preserving the 1910 portion of the eastern building and clock tower
- Retaining the entire easternmost structure
- Saving only the clock tower
- Incorporating historic clock elements into a new structure, either on-site or elsewhere
- Preserving select historic elements for a future redevelopment
Each option comes with challenges, including cost, structural stability, safety concerns, vandalism, and long-term redevelopment feasibility.
Akron has been working with SHPO since last summer after rising costs made full preservation under the original plan unworkable. In December, Akron City Council passed a resolution encouraging continued exploration of clock tower preservation.
Mayor Shammas Malik says the goal is balance. “We’re working to find the right balance between addressing a nuisance property and preserving our history.”
The city has hired Hasenstab Architects to analyze costs and feasibility. Final recommendations will be shared publicly at the February 17 committee meeting.
For now, demolition remains on hold. The future of the Firestone clock tower remains under review.
