An Asset for the Junction Neighborhood
Honoring the Past, Building the Future
The History
In 2018, the Diocese of Toledo donated the former St. Anthony’s church building to the Lucas County Land Bank after an outcry from community leaders and neighborhood residents to stop it from being demolished.
After taking ownership, the Land Bank first listened to the residents and stakeholders in the neighborhood about what they hoped to see happen. Through these focus groups, the community expressed its desire to see the building reused in these ways:
1. As a focal point for community identity
2. As a gathering place
3. For youth education, recreation, and skill development
4. With a focus on safety, sustainable ownership, and reflecting the leadership of the neighborhood
With those priorities in hand, the Land Bank asked The Toledo Design Collective to complete a feasibility study that assessed potential redevelopment options and the costs associated with them. You can read the complete Feasibility Study below.
Redeveloping the Building
In December 2022, the Land Bank received a $4 million Community Project Funding appropriation from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur to make critical investments in the building and adjacent land.
In 2023, the Land Bank hired The Collaborative to begin pre-development architectural and engineering plans to adapt the building as a multi-purpose recreational facility. The total project cost is estimated to be $6 million and the Land Bank continues to work with partners to identify the remaining resources to launch construction.
A full renovation of the building to ready it for the community's use will include building an adjacent parking lot and a solar array canopy on that parking lot to sustainably power the building's operations.
We look forward to taking the next steps on this project in partnership with residents and stakeholders!
