Akron community members and city leaders expressed hesitation about plans to demolish a historic tire plant in Akron Thursday.
Akron City Council is considering the city planning department’s request to raze Firestone Plant 1, the former headquarters of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.
The crux of the debate is whether salvaging the building’s front façade, which includes an iconic clock tower, is financially feasible.
During a public hearing Thursday, city officials said the building has deteriorated, and it would cost an estimated $5 million to preserve the front portion of the 115-year-old structure.
Community members and several council members, on the other hand, said the clock tower is a symbol of Akron’s past as the rubber capital of the world.
“That tower’s not just part of a building. It is a living monument to the men and women who built Akron with their hands, their sweat and their determination,” Akron resident William Reynolds said during the meeting.
Jeff Wilhite, an Akron resident and county council member, encouraged city leaders to work with residents to find financial support to preserve the structure.
“It’s historic. It’s iconic,” Wilhite said. “It’s important that our communities keep some sense of place, a gathering place, something that is unique to those individual neighborhoods.”
Several council members echoed residents’ sentiments.
Councilmember Donnie Kammer, who represents Firestone Park where the building is located, urged city officials to find a way to preserve the clock tower.
“We’re going to have to spend money. We’re not going to erase history in Akron. We’re not going to erase the identity of South Akron and Firestone Park.”
Councilmember Sharon Connor, who represents Goodyear Heights, agreed, adding the importance of preserving all of Akron’s rubber history.
“There are things you do for money, and there are things you do for heart, and saving these buildings touches all of our hearts,” Connor said. “That clock tower, if there is any way to save it, we need to save it. It’s iconic.”
One community member spoke in favor of the demolition – Steve Charles, who retired from Bridgestone, which acquired Firestone in the late 1980s. He used to work in the old plant and worked to preserve a large Firestone sign nearby.
The former headquarters has been deteriorating for some time, he said.
“It’s basically falling down. Sure, I’d like to keep the clock tower, but I’m not really sure what the value or the use of it is anymore, with the facilities we have down the street and the iconic sign,” Charles said. “I just think, economically speaking … it’s just not worth it.”
The planning committee, chaired by Council Vice President Jeff Fusco, voted unanimously to take time on the legislation and vote in the coming weeks.
This will be a tough call, Fusco said.
“In a couple months, we’re going to get that capital budget. If it is $5 million, and it sounds like it’s up front, there’s going to be some sacrifice,” Fusco said.
Council needs to take a vote by the end of the month to keep the funding the city has already secured from the state to demolish at least the rear wings of the building, city officials said.
