The contractor is to leave the 14,000 square feet of the building housing the flea market intact. Owner Bill Bowman said under his lease, he could continue to operate there through April 2018.
But Bowman acknowledged he and the city are trying to find a new location for his business, clearing the way for redevelopment of the corner.
“I wish I could stay here longer but I know the city owns it and they are going to redevelop it,” Bowman said.
In addition to redeveloping the corner, the city and Warren County Transportation Improvement District are planning more than $10 million in improvements at the intersection of Ohio 741 and Ohio 73.
The city will pay Disposal Solutions, a Middletown-based contractor, up to $148,476 to tear down the section of the building, south of the flea market.
This will enable MakSolve, a Dayton-based contractor working for the city and transportation district, to clean up contamination left by a laundry in the shopping plaza. The city and county continue to work toward the intersection improvements expected to be completed in 2018.
While the contamination in no way reaches levels harmful to the public, the city feels it is prudent to ensure a clean site for redevelopment,” Assistant City Manager Chris Pozzuto said in a memo to council. “The remediation cannot begin until the building is demolished.
MakSolve also has been retained by the county for clean up of underground tanks at the former Shell station on the corner.
Bowman said he has operated the flea market for two years in the shopping plaza.
“It’s hard finding a building this big,” he said.
Bowman said he was working with a property owner at another location, but so far had no firm plans to move.
About the Author
