Toledo mayoral candidate, residents urge city to clean up debris from June fire

TOLEDO, Ohio —

The debris of a building fire in north Toledo has sat unmoved since June.

The fire happened at the former Mohr Brothers bottling building at the intersection of Lagrange and Palmer streets in June. The piles of bricks and burnt remains has built up, as neighbors say people have started to dump their own trash there.

“Not only that, but you’re also concerned about what environmental hazards could this be to the young children that actually just are dropped off at the bus stop just right down the street here,” Toledo mayoral candidate Roberto Torres said at a meeting he held at the site on Thursday.

The piles stand multiple feet tall and some of the sidewalks aren’t walkable on because they’re covered in rubble.

Neighbors who live across the street said they’re tired of having to look at the eyesore, while they’re still dealing with their own issues from the fire.

“The heat got so intense that it melted my front and side of my house,” Cleophus Staples said.

Staples said he has not heard anything from the city about what’s going on with the property right across from his house.

“It needs to be done. There are homeowners on the 300 block of Palmer,” he said. “I’m one of them. I pay taxes, haven’t missed a note. Come and get this stuff ’cause it’s hazardous.” 

Property records show the building belongs to Rickman Edward, but Torres said it’s the city’s responsibility to clean it up because the building was listed for demolition before the fire.

“The city cannot wait until these things happen in order for it to take action,” he said. “It’s been three months. They need to do it.”

He added that the Mohr Brothers rubble is just a small part of a bigger issue in the city. 

“What needs to happen is funding needs to be prioritized so that we focus on our neighborhoods,” Torres said. “We know that the people spend money where they live, so if we can create more residents in neighborhoods, they’re going to stay there.”

WTOL 11 reached out to the city for an update on the site. A city representative said “Funding for the cleanup at 2518 Lagrange Street, the former Mohr Brothers Bottling Company, was approved this week. We are now in the process of applying for and submitting the necessary permits and EPA notifications. We anticipate the cleanup will begin mid-month, with a target completion by the end of the month.”

Mayor Wade Kapzukiewicz’s campaign declined to comment. He is running as the incumbent against Torres, seeking a third term in office.