Crayon factory heading toward demolition date

Six bids have been received in early January 2016 by the city government of Sandusky, Ohio, to demolish a former crayon factory in the northern Ohio city.

According to an online article by the Sandusky Register, officials in that city have received six bids from demolition companies interested in dismantling the abandoned factory building.

The city will review the bids and make a decision whether to accept one of the bids. Sandusky development officer Matt Lasko is quoted by the Register as saying, “Once a contractor is selected and the contract is signed, (which should occur in a few weeks or less), work must commence within 21 days.”

Lasko also is quoted as saying the abandoned structure poses a safety hazard as portions of it may be nearing collapse.

Two developers who co-own the building have pitched ideas to renovate it in recent years, but none of the plans came to fruition, according to the Register. The city intends to bill the owners for the cost of demolition.

According to a Sandusky history website and blog, the crayon factory traces its roots in Sandusky back to the 1850s. Through multiple acquisitions and mergers, an art supply production facility of one type or another operated in Sandusky until 2002, when the American Crayon Company factory and office in Sandusky that is now slated for demolition closed its doors.