City Seeks ‘Emergency Demolition’ of Former Anthony’s on the River

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The city is seeking an “emergency demolition” of the property at 15 Oak Hill downtown, which formerly housed Anthony’s on the River.

The Board of Control looks to waive formal bidding on the demolition, which is not to exceed $48,000. According to a notice from the city, the emergency demolition is necessary “for the immediate preservation of the public peace, welfare and safety.”

According to a vacant properties and demolition document published by the city, Youngstown has the legal right to order, perform or contract emergency and nonemergency demolitions of unsafe structures. An “emergency demolition” is for properties that are in “imminent danger of collapse,” the document states. 

Under an emergency demolition, the fire authority authorizes condemnation, the condemnation is issued, demolition starts and the cost of demolition is recovered from the property owner.

15 Oak Hill is currently owned by Two Bridges LLC, which purchased the property on Feb. 20, 2019, for $100,000, according to the website of the Mahoning County Auditor. In November 2018, The Business Journal reported that Two Bridges was incorporated that month by Ronald Eiselstein.

At the time, ideas discussed for the mixed-use space included fine dining restaurants, offices, townhouses, a residential high-rise building and walking paths with access to the Mahoning River. The property consists of a 10,000-square-foot building and 800 feet of land on the Mahoning River.

Calls and emails to city officials and Eiselstein were unreturned as of Friday afternoon.

In November 2018, Patrick Kerrigan, executive director of the Oak Hill Collaborative, spoke on behalf of Two Bridges, though Friday he said he hasn’t spoken to Eiselstein in months. Kerrigan was hopeful that the building there could prove an anchor for the property.

“It could be a great piece of property,” Kerrigan said. “It had been in disrepair for five years. When you’re on the river, you’re going to have water if you don’t have proper insulation in the basement.”

The building was constructed in 1910 by the St. Vincent de Paul Society and was converted into Anthony’s on the River in 1997.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.