[bartzman]

i distinctly remember, maybe one year ago or so, reading articles on this site and others about a large 1960s skyscraper in toledo that was being knocked down....well, today, i figured i'd take a look and see exactly what the city lost....but i couldnt find any evidence that such a tower was ever demolished....was i dreaming the entire thing?

[LMich]

I don't think there was ever any solid plans to demolish the tower you're talking about. You're talking about the abandonded Fiberglass Tower (Owens-Corning Fiberglass Tower). From what I remember the owner (Eyde Company of Lansing) doesn't know what to do with the tower, and there has been both talks of renovation or demolition, but neither option has gotten a serious plan.

I will say the Eyde's are known as urban slumlords, here in Lansing, and using their urban properties they aquire to leverage their suburban projects. The Eydes are really trying to sell this thing off to some unsuspecting buyer since the tower is in such a poor state. The very first thing that has to be done is a $2-3 million asbestos removal, and I heard the mechanical systems all need to be upgraded. With downtown office space in Toledo not selling so well, it wouldn't make much sense, from their persepctive, at least, to renovate the thing back to office space, and a conversion would cost them more than what they have. This is a perfect example of a developer biting off more than what they can chew.

I'm hearing even Class A One SeaGate is only half-filled. I don't see much hope for Fiberglass, but I don't see anyone being able to bring it down anytime soon, either.

[bartzman]

thanks, that must be what im thinking of...but still, the memory seems so clear...i distinctly remember thinking...."wow, their gonna knock down a semi-recent skyscraper!"

[LMich]

If I remember correctly, and the building is owned by the Eyde Company who don't have any plans, demolition would be years off. By that, I mean, if it was the City of Toledo that wanted this demolished, they've first have to go through expensive and time-consuming eminent domain legal wranglings. After aquiring the tower, they'd then have to come up with money, themselves, to demolish the tower. I don't think the City of Toledo has the money or will, at the moment, to try and aquire the tower.

[hudkina]

Don't they have to remove asbestos anyway when they demolish a building? I'd rather them spend the $2 million to remove it and keep the building than to spend the $2 million to remove it and demolish the building.

[araman0]

Am I mistaken, or is this the second-tallest building in Toledo? It would be a shame to remove thi building, especially when at the very least it can be converted into condos which would definately sell in a building like this.