The Park Hotel, 201 Knapp St., is being demolished to redevelop the site into housing for young adults in Lucas County.
Lucas Metropolitan Housing began the demolition of the abandoned historic Toledo building Wednesday, Nov. 8.
A new property, the Park Apartments will take the place of the demolished hotel. The apartments will house young adults in Lucas County aged 18 to 24 who are facing homelessness as they transition into adulthood.
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The demolition of the building should be completed by mid-December, with construction of the new facility to start in the Spring of 2024, the Park Apartments plan to open in 2025.
“The new Park Hotel redevelopment will be a game-changer for the City of Toledo in terms of improving the quality of life for many of our community’s most vulnerable citizens – young people who through no fault of their own have no place to call home,” LBH President and CEO Joaquin Cintron Vega said. “This represents a milestone achievement for Toledo. The move allows LMH and LHSC and our partners to move forward on our plan to transform this building into a place for healing and hope.”
The Park Apartments, expected to cost $15 million, will climb four stories high and hold 41 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments, as well as areas for socialization, counseling and educational resources as well as a community room with a kitchen, fitness area, storage and laundry.
The project was funded through $9.7 million from Low Income Housing Tax Credits, $3.2 million from the City of Toledo and an anticipated $750,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“Addressing homelessness among transition-aged youth requires a multifaceted approach that combines stable housing solutions with supportive services, educational and employment support, and mental health services,” Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board Director Michael Hart said. “Park Apartments will help provide a safety net and opportunities for these young people that will help break the cycle of homelessness and set them on a path toward stability and self-sufficiency. Addressing youth homelessness is not just a moral imperative; it’s an investment in the future, ensuring that our society’s most vulnerable have the opportunity to become its strongest pillars.”
Lucas Metropolitan Housing partnered with Harbor to bring support to the apartment residents, including trauma-informed case management, employment assistance and job training, life skills training, behavioral and mental health support, education services, childcare and many other services.
Beyond shelter, the new Park Apartments will stand as a cornerstone for our most vulnerable young adults, offering them not only a stable home but also a pathway to essential services that will pave the way for a brighter future,” City of Toledo Manager of Tenant and Landlord Services Coleena Ali, said.
Apartments residents will be referred through Lucas County Children Services, Lucas County Juvenile Justice Center, and the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board. A project-based rent subsidy made available by LMH as well as a portion of the resident’s income will pay the rent for their stay.
Lucas Metropolitan Housing estimates the average stay will be around one to two years.
“Park Apartments will be permanent supportive housing, offering housing and social services with the goal of helping the tenants have a stable home and the opportunity to access services that will help them remain in housing and transition into adulthood,” Ohio State Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) said.
The historic Park Hotel, built in 1909 that once housed 100 rooms, a restaurant and bar, was deemed unsafe for occupancy in 2021 by a structural engineer, with a complete reconstruction needed to repair the building.
