BOSTON HEIGHTS, Ohio — An excavator made quick work, knocking down walls and destroying a section of one of the buildings that housed a swimming pool at the former Norwood Inn in Boston Heights.
The partial tear down followed a news conference where several village, county, and state officials celebrated the long-awaited demolition of the highly visible blighted property along Dean Memorial Parkway near Route 8 and the Ohio Turnpike.
As the debris hit the ground, it also left behind a mixture of emotions for longtime Boston Heights residents Ronald and Carol Fenn.
"At one time, it was the centerpiece— shall we say— of the community," Ronald Fenn said.
There are plenty of sentimental stories surrounding the old hotel. It was the site for many conventions, proms, and wedding receptions.
Ronald and Carol's son had his wedding reception there about 40 years ago.
"We used to come here and eat too because they had a restaurant that you could come in and eat," Carol Fenn said.
However, the hotel, which started out as a Holiday Inn in the 60s, closed in 2019, fell into disrepair, and became an eyesore.
Problems persisted with black mold and asbestos, and police routinely dealt with broken windows along with people who called themselves "urban explorers" trespassing inside the buildings.
"There were some drug users that we had in, so it was a safety hazard for the police department because they have to go in," said Boston Heights Mayor Ron Antal.
The former was condemned in 2022. Since that time, village leaders have pushed for it to be demolished by partnering with the Summit County Land Bank.
In October of 2024, the village was awarded $885,000 through the Ohio Department of Development's Building and Site Revitalization Program to fund the abatement and demolition.
"It's great to see this happen. It's been a tremendous eyesore. People have reached out to me for a long time. I know the revitalization will bring tax revenue to Summit County and to Boston Heights," said State Rep. Bill Roemer.
Antal said a developer is planning to build a Sheetz gas station and two other businesses on the site.
"They'll (Sheetz) be on about a third of the nine acres, and then there will be two other businesses that will occupy the other portions. We don't know who those are yet," Antal said.
Since the former motel has a storied history in Boston Heights, some residents have asked for bricks as keepsakes once the tear-down is complete.
Ronald Fenn, who was a zoning inspector on the original project, is among those who would like a brick.
"I was in involved in the approval process of it, so it was more than just an innocent bystander."
The abatement and demolition are expected to be completed by May.
