Southwyck mall contains black mold, asbestos

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Southwyck mall contains black mold, asbestos

Toledo Blade - Toledo,OH*

BLADE STAFF

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20080507/NEWS16/805070412

City inspectors found black mold at Southwyck Shopping Center and

asbestos contamination in the former Montgomery Ward building, which

could be transferred to mall common areas by maintenance workers,

Tim , Toledo's commissioner of environmental services, said

yesterday.

" We did a visual inspection and what we found in Montgomery Ward,

the roof over time has leaked a lot and that has caused the ceiling

to fall in, " Mr. said. " In the ceiling, they have fire-

proofing containing asbestos. "

The inspections, which included fire and safety, were conducted

Friday, he said.

" You don't have shoppers going through [Mont-gomery Ward], but

what's happening is the mall operation still goes in there and they

sweep up some of this stuff, and some of the inspectors are

concerned, " Mr. said.

He said asbestos could spread to the public areas still in use, but

had no evidence to support that.

" We do not have any sampling showing that right now, " Mr.

said.

The black mold was observed on the ceiling in the main concourse of

the nearly vacant shopping mall.

Reinbolt, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's chief of staff, said the

owners of the mall and the former Montgomery Ward building will be

ordered to address the issues within 30 days.

About six stores are operating at the shopping center, 2040 South

Reynolds Rd.

Mayor Finkbeiner in February said planned redevelopment of the once-

popular mall would proceed if the city " could just get control of

the property. "

Developer Larry Dillin yesterday said he is continuing his efforts

to buy the South Toledo mall and will market the project at a

shopping center convention that begins later this month in Las Vegas.

" There is a dialogue going on between the current owners to resolve

what happens with the property, " Mr. Dillin said. " I do not have

property control, but I am hopeful we will have a good convention. "

The mall's ownership is complicated.

Tom of Dreiseszun & , managing partner for the mall

ownership group, owns half the mall, not including the closed

Dillard's store, along with his uncle, Sherman Dreiseszun, who died

Dec. 2.

Dillard's Inc. of Little Rock owns the other half of the mall and

the former Montgomery Ward anchor building.

Dillard's was the remaining anchor at the 35-year-old mall. The

Dillard's store and its adjacent parking lot are owned by shopping-

center operator M.G. " Buddy " Herring, Jr., president and chief

executive of the M.G. Herring Group, Dallas.

- Ignazio Messina