After nearly being demolished, a 130-year-old Toledo landmark will become a recreation center for the Junction neighborhood.
TOLEDO, Ohio — After eight years of planning and a near-demolition, a historic Toledo landmark is getting new life.
Community leaders broke ground Monday on the St. Anthony’s Redevelopment Project in the Junction neighborhood, marking the beginning of a $6 million renovation that will transform the 130-year-old church into a multipurpose community recreation center.
“Yeah, we’re thrilled to break ground today at St. Anthony’s,” said David Mann, president and CEO of the Lucas County Land Bank. “This has been a labor of love for eight years, but lots of things have happened inch by inch to get us to the end of this mile, and we’ve got one mile of construction ahead of us, and then we will be opening these doors next year. We’re excited to see it.”
The Lucas County Land Bank, which purchased the building in 2018, worked alongside city, county and federal leaders, including U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, to save the structure, which once came within hours of being torn down.
“Yeah, it’s been a long journey, as I think most people remember, there was literally a crane with a wrecking ball on top of it here seven to eight years ago,” Kapszukiewicz said. “I mean, this building was maybe 24 to 48 hours away from being demolished.”
That close call became a turning point for the neighborhood, uniting leaders and residents to protect and repurpose the landmark.
“After years of work and fundraising, we’re finally at a position where we’re going to be able to position this for use by the community and use by kids,” the mayor said.
The project will include spaces for learning, events and recreation, all while preserving the iconic steeple that has long towered over Junction Avenue.
Alicia Smith, executive director of the Junction Coalition, said the building represents hope for the community.
“When you start talking about that steeple, I see Wi-Fi, right for the entire community,” Smith said. “This is an opportunity to move from disinvestment to investment, and we’re going to keep doing it better together in Toledo.”
Construction is expected to wrap up next year. The building will operate as part of Toledo’s Parks and Youth Services.
Mann said the renovation represents the future of the neighborhood.
“This is all about the future. This is all about, ‘What does this building need now in order to make it something useful for the next 130 years?’ It was built 130 years ago. That was a very different place in a very different time,” Mann said. “We need this building to be for this time and for these people, and we are thrilled to see that happening.”
The cathedral-scale building is one of the tallest structures in Toledo and has been a landmark in the Junction neighborhood for more than a century.
This article was published by Amanda Fay on 2025-10-06 14:25:00
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