AKRON, Ohio — A former church complex in Akron's Kenmore neighborhood with a rich history— but a current source of aggravation— is coming down.
On Tuesday, the city began demolition at the former The Word Church on Manchester Road.
"This is a priority. We're not waiting. We're taking this building down," said Mayor Shammas Malik during a news conference attended by multiple city leaders and community groups.
It will take approximately 90 days to demolish the buildings and remove the material. City leaders said they plan to aggressively pursue repayment for the emergency demolition from the current owners.
The complex, consisting of eight buildings, has multiple broken and boarded-up windows and graffiti on the brick structures.
What once was a place of worship— and a megachurch— has become one eyesore and a spot for vandals and thieves.
"This has absolutely been a public safety issue. Our officers along have responded over 200 times in the last year at this location for concerns from the community," said Acting Police Chief Brian Harding.
Akron Fire Chief Joesph Natko said his crews have responded to fire calls at the buildings 25 times over the past four years.
"The extreme hazard of a building like this, and it's coming down, just means so much to the safety forces," Natko said.
Employees of Showcase Meats across the street said homeless people and drug users frequented the vacant property, and they sometimes walked over to the business and caused problems.
"A lot of drug addicts. They have actually broken into our shed a few times. They come back here and they try to steal a lot of our supplies," said Sam Smith, a worker at Showcase Meats.
The building initially housed the Akron Baptist Temple, one of the nation's first megachurches. The original structure was built in 1937, and a new, larger building was built in 1949 to house the growing congregation.
In June 2018, the Akron Baptist Temple sold the church and its property to The Word Church. The Word Church listed the building for sale in June of 2019. On Aug. 10, 2022, the structure was ordered demolished by the Vacant Commercial or Industrial Building Appeals Board of the City of Akron. Since then, city officials said it has sat vacant and continues to decay, creating an increasingly unsafe situation.
To pay for the demolition, the city received about $700,000 from the Summit County Land Bank and hopes to get an additional $600,000 in state demolition funds.
The Akron property is still owned by The Work Church, which currently has a place of worship in Warrensville Heights.
Asked about seeking repayment from the church for the demolition, Malik said, "We are going to be as aggressive as we can in collecting."
The Word Church issued the following statement regarding the demolition
“First and foremost, Pastor Dr. R.A. Vernon would like the community to know that The Word Church's primary goal in purchasing the former Akron Baptist Temple was to actively engage with the community through services, gatherings and youth activities. The current status of the building is an unfortunate condition which was out of The Word Church’s control.
The Word Church is and has been fully cooperating with the City of Akron to assist the City to expeditiously and efficiently remediate the structural and safety issues which impacted the former Akron Baptist Temple church building. The Word Church was planning an orderly exit strategy by listing the Building for sale right before the pandemic.
During the pandemic, the Building was mostly vacant and it was constantly being trespassed and vandalized, despite numerous efforts to secure and board up the Building by The Word Church. Pastor-Dr. R.A. Vernon and his team has communicated with Mayor Malik and his advisors about the safety concerns and structural issues and has worked collaboratively to assist the City with its plans to secure and demolish the Building. The Church plans to continue to collaborate with the City of Akron and it is currently marketing and offering the land and parcels around the Building for sale to secure a buyer who will convert the soon to be vacant land to its highest and best use for the sake of the Akron community.
The Word Church is confident that it will reach an amicable resolution with the City regarding the costs of the demolition and will continue to encourage its congregation to engage in active prayers for the community and support means to recognize the history of the Akron Baptist Temple and its positive historical impact on the Community of Akron.”
- Chris Niekamp
Attorney for The Word Church
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