The former EDCO Tool and Supply store at 1100 E. Kibby St. will be demolished starting Monday as part of remediation efforts for a 12-acre area of land in that block.
Craig Kelly | The Lima News
LIMA — A 2021 fire caused severe damage at the former EDCO Tool and Supply building at 1100 E. Kibby St., an incident that provided the final proverbial nail in the coffin for the large tract of land in that area of East Kibby Street that was home to EDCO as well as the former Davidson Enamel factory.
With funding from the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program allocated to this project, work will soon be underway to demolish the burned-out building while also cleaning up that site for potential future development.
A total of $860,500 was awarded through the state brownfield program to help fund the demolition and cleanup.
According to a release from the city of Lima and the Allen Economic Development Group, demolition and remediation efforts at this site are underway, with demolition set to begin on Monday. Currently, the 12.67-acre property is owned by the Allen County Port Authority and managed by AEDG.
The hope, according to the release, is that once this site is cleaned up, it can be ready for new industrial development, with any potential investor able to immediately break ground on a new facility.
“At AEDG we see it as a privilege to work with the city and county officials to revitalize properties and to bring about new vitality and growth to the region,” AEDG president and CEO Dave Stratton said in the release. “The EDCO property is a great example of how we can work together with the city of Lima to bring about positive economic development success to our community.”
Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith also issued a statement expressing optimism for the possibilities this site could offer in terms of investment.
“As more brownfield sites are transformed throughout the Lima community, we can use these assets to attract jobs, promote economic revitalization and transform neighborhoods,” Smith said in the statement. “We are excited about the new potential this opens up for the EDCO site.”
Reach Craig Kelly at 567-242-0391 or on Twitter @cmkelly419.
