Significant Redevelopment Plans for The Four Corners in Downtown Toledo

The City of Toledo and the Lucas County Land Bank have embarked on two significant redevelopment plans for downtown Toledo at the Four Corners – the intersection of Huron Street and Madison Avenue, so named because it’s the only intersection in downtown Toledo where the original four buildings are still standing.

First, three of the buildings at that intersection, the Spitzer building, the Nicholas building, and the Nasby building are slated to be redeveloped into residential housing units possibly with first-floor retail spaces. Second, the City is also proposing a total reconstruction of the streetscape on Huron street from the Erie Street Market to Jackson boulevard and on Madison avenue from St. Clair Street to Michigan avenue, with a specific focus on the intersection at Huron and Madison.

“So, ideally, by the time someone is moving into the Spitzer building,” says Brandon Sehlhorst, Director of Economic Development for the City of Toledo, “they’re bringing their luggage over a beautiful new streetscape.”

“The vision that RKP group”– the company that will be redeveloping the buildings – “has for the Spitzer and Nicholas buildings,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “is that we would have 400 units between both buildings, then probably close to another 100 units in the Nasby building.”

However, this is all going to be very expensive, as the inside of each building is being demolished, environmentally remediated and totally rebuilt.

“The cost to renovate Spitzer and Nicholas is $200 million and that doesn’t include parking and that doesn’t include other amenities,” says Mr.  Sehlhorst, “so it’s 4 times the amount of [the cost of the Marina Lofts across the river next to Glass City Metropark] And the rents are the same, the market in Toledo can only support so much, so, we are having to factor those economic realities into this project which demonstrates why there’s such a strong need for federal, state, and local incentives to make these projects happen.”

“We have worked diligently to attract private development and convert each building into a mix of residential and commercial uses that are in high demand in downtown Toledo,” says David Mann, President and CEO of the Lucas County Land Bank, in an email. “Restoring abandoned buildings – even abandoned skyscrapers – to productive use is the mission of the Land Bank,” adds David Mann, “We’re thrilled to be a part of a $190+ million public/private partnership that will help meet the affordable housing needs in our community.”

Mr. Mann also thinks that parking for the new residential housing units will not be a problem. “In the case of the Spitzer building, the Superior Street parking garage has over 500 available spaces, and it is merely one block away from the building,” says Mr. Mann “Likewise, there are two large surface parking lots on the other side of Erie Street from the Nicholas building.  We believe that the available parking options can amply meet the parking needs of tenants in the buildings.”

The City of Toledo has secured two $10 million tax credits from the State of Ohio for the Spitzer and Nicholas buildings. The City has also received money from the State of Ohio and leveraged its American Rescue Plan dollars to do the environmental remediation of both buildings.

“We as a downtown have absorbed a lot of residential units over the past 10 years, I think over 1,000 units have been added in downtown Toledo, we always absorbed them over time,” adds Mr. Sehlhorst, “so the vision is that this would be a phased development approach, that the Spitzer building would be first, the Nicholas building would be second, and the Nasby building would be third,  and this would happen over a ten year time period. The goal [is that] the Spitzer building would be under construction this time next year.”

“We have some work to do over the next year to secure the financing,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “the City is likely going to be an investor in this project, it’s going to have to be if we want to see it move forward. I would say based on our feasibility study we had done back in 2020-2021 [the city’s investment] would be around $20 to $25 million.”

“As you can see the [current] streetscape that brings [these buildings] all together does not meet that same expectation for the level of transformation that these 3 buildings are set to undergo,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “Really dressing up this corridor, making this be a streetscape where people want to be,” is the impetus for the companion streetscape redevelopment plan.

The City held two open house public engagement meetings with residents and stakeholders, where they could make suggestions and provide feedback on the streetscape redevelopment plan.

The Streetscape redevelopment plan proposes to completely redo the sidewalks and streets, incorporating aesthetically pleasing pavers at the intersection and at crosswalks, as well as incorporating raised planters with seating at the Four Corners intersection, adding tall light-columns and a chandelier at the Four Corners intersection, new planters with street trees all along both Madison and Huron streets, and new pedestrian streetlights.

The total cost for the streetscape redevelopment on Huron street and Madison street is estimated at $40 million. “We don’t have $40 million,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “The city is to maybe look at a portion of this project and work our way down the corridor.”

The city is also planning on applying for future federal grant opportunities but is waiting for the Trump Administration to publish those. “There will be a discretionary [federal] grant program, I’m sure of it,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “Under this administration, 4 or 5 years ago, that’s the administration that gave us the original $20 million grant for the Glass City Riverwalk project. I don’t see those going away, but the criteria certainly changes, of like who can compete for that. So, it remains to be seen how a project like this [streetscape redevelopment] would compete for those grant programs.”

“That is amazing, absolutely [this would be good for my business],” says Hilal Merhi, the owner of House of Coffee, a relatively new coffeehouse at the corner of Superior Street and Madison Avenue, right down the street from the Four Corners, “This [redevelopment project] just adds to my theme that I’m focusing on and I’m hoping that once that [redevelopment] happens it has a direct impact on my sales. But, also, being there for them, a coffeeshop that’s nearby, that’s definitely going to be win-win for both entities. It’s exciting.”

“[This redevelopment project is] going to be a win for anybody that’s in the area, even for the Huntington Center,” adds Mr. Merhi, “it’s within walking distance to even the Mud Hens Stadium, it would bring life to what has been a major portion of Toledo. Hopefully it can boost up more attendance.”

The City of Toledo and the Lucas County Land Bank have embarked on two significant redevelopment plans for downtown Toledo at the Four Corners – the intersection of Huron Street and Madison Avenue, so named because it’s the only intersection in downtown Toledo where the original four buildings are still standing.

First, three of the buildings at that intersection, the Spitzer building, the Nicholas building, and the Nasby building are slated to be redeveloped into residential housing units possibly with first-floor retail spaces. Second, the City is also proposing a total reconstruction of the streetscape on Huron street from the Erie Street Market to Jackson boulevard and on Madison avenue from St. Clair Street to Michigan avenue, with a specific focus on the intersection at Huron and Madison.

“So, ideally, by the time someone is moving into the Spitzer building,” says Brandon Sehlhorst, Director of Economic Development for the City of Toledo, “they’re bringing their luggage over a beautiful new streetscape.”

“The vision that RKP group”– the company that will be redeveloping the buildings – “has for the Spitzer and Nicholas buildings,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “is that we would have 400 units between both buildings, then probably close to another 100 units in the Nasby building.”

However, this is all going to be very expensive, as the inside of each building is being demolished, environmentally remediated and totally rebuilt.

“The cost to renovate Spitzer and Nicholas is $200 million and that doesn’t include parking and that doesn’t include other amenities,” says Mr.  Sehlhorst, “so it’s 4 times the amount of [the cost of the Marina Lofts across the river next to Glass City Metropark] And the rents are the same, the market in Toledo can only support so much, so, we are having to factor those economic realities into this project which demonstrates why there’s such a strong need for federal, state, and local incentives to make these projects happen.”

“We have worked diligently to attract private development and convert each building into a mix of residential and commercial uses that are in high demand in downtown Toledo,” says David Mann, President and CEO of the Lucas County Land Bank, in an email. “Restoring abandoned buildings – even abandoned skyscrapers – to productive use is the mission of the Land Bank,” adds David Mann, “We’re thrilled to be a part of a $190+ million public/private partnership that will help meet the affordable housing needs in our community.”

Mr. Mann also thinks that parking for the new residential housing units will not be a problem. “In the case of the Spitzer building, the Superior Street parking garage has over 500 available spaces, and it is merely one block away from the building,” says Mr. Mann “Likewise, there are two large surface parking lots on the other side of Erie Street from the Nicholas building.  We believe that the available parking options can amply meet the parking needs of tenants in the buildings.”

The City of Toledo has secured two $10 million tax credits from the State of Ohio for the Spitzer and Nicholas buildings. The City has also received money from the State of Ohio and leveraged its American Rescue Plan dollars to do the environmental remediation of both buildings.

“We as a downtown have absorbed a lot of residential units over the past 10 years, I think over 1,000 units have been added in downtown Toledo, we always absorbed them over time,” adds Mr. Sehlhorst, “so the vision is that this would be a phased development approach, that the Spitzer building would be first, the Nicholas building would be second, and the Nasby building would be third,  and this would happen over a ten year time period. The goal [is that] the Spitzer building would be under construction this time next year.”

“We have some work to do over the next year to secure the financing,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “the City is likely going to be an investor in this project, it’s going to have to be if we want to see it move forward. I would say based on our feasibility study we had done back in 2020-2021 [the city’s investment] would be around $20 to $25 million.”

“As you can see the [current] streetscape that brings [these buildings] all together does not meet that same expectation for the level of transformation that these 3 buildings are set to undergo,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “Really dressing up this corridor, making this be a streetscape where people want to be,” is the impetus for the companion streetscape redevelopment plan.

The City held two open house public engagement meetings with residents and stakeholders, where they could make suggestions and provide feedback on the streetscape redevelopment plan.

The Streetscape redevelopment plan proposes to completely redo the sidewalks and streets, incorporating aesthetically pleasing pavers at the intersection and at crosswalks, as well as incorporating raised planters with seating at the Four Corners intersection, adding tall light-columns and a chandelier at the Four Corners intersection, new planters with street trees all along both Madison and Huron streets, and new pedestrian streetlights.

The total cost for the streetscape redevelopment on Huron street and Madison street is estimated at $40 million. “We don’t have $40 million,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “The city is to maybe look at a portion of this project and work our way down the corridor.”

The city is also planning on applying for future federal grant opportunities but is waiting for the Trump Administration to publish those. “There will be a discretionary [federal] grant program, I’m sure of it,” says Mr. Sehlhorst, “Under this administration, 4 or 5 years ago, that’s the administration that gave us the original $20 million grant for the Glass City Riverwalk project. I don’t see those going away, but the criteria certainly changes, of like who can compete for that. So, it remains to be seen how a project like this [streetscape redevelopment] would compete for those grant programs.”

“That is amazing, absolutely [this would be good for my business],” says Hilal Merhi, the owner of House of Coffee, a relatively new coffeehouse at the corner of Superior Street and Madison Avenue, right down the street from the Four Corners, “This [redevelopment project] just adds to my theme that I’m focusing on and I’m hoping that once that [redevelopment] happens it has a direct impact on my sales. But, also, being there for them, a coffeeshop that’s nearby, that’s definitely going to be win-win for both entities. It’s exciting.”

“[This redevelopment project is] going to be a win for anybody that’s in the area, even for the Huntington Center,” adds Mr. Merhi, “it’s within walking distance to even the Mud Hens Stadium, it would bring life to what has been a major portion of Toledo. Hopefully it can boost up more attendance.”