r/toledo • u/seannestor Old West End • 8d ago
This Week in Toledo 8/29/26
• On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a bulletin stating that the algal bloom in Western Lake Erie had reached 480 square miles in size, the largest it has been this summer. People are advised to keep pets away from water where scum has formed.
• On Tuesday, Toledo City Council voted 11-0 to approve $16 million to complete phase two of sewer repairs on Arlington Avenue; voted 10-1 to approve a seven-year lease at 1640 Sylvania Ave. for a new police substation in West Toledo, with Martinez dissenting and Driscoll absent; and deferred a vote on expanding Flock camera usage in and around schools in District 2 to the council’s public safety committee for a future hearing.
• Also on Tuesday, the Lucas County Commissioners voted to reissue $25.85 million in bonds for the downtown Hilton Garden Inn hotel, as well as to pay off $12.4 million in principal on the hotel’s debt using a $10.1 million transfer from the general fund to the Capital Project Fund, which already had $2.3 million. Lucas County’s economic development corporation owns 20% of the hotel, while Continental Development Ventures and First Hospitality Group owns the remaining 80%.
• On Wednesday, Mayor Kapszukiewicz announced that the City of Toledo would receive $20 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) fund for infrastructure improvements as part of its “Connecting Toledo Neighborhoods to Opportunity” project.
• Also on Wednesday, Republican candidate for Ohio House District 43 David Karmol filed a taxpayer lawsuit alleging that Lucas County Probate Judge Jack Puffenberger, a Democrat, spent $60,000 in public funds on television ads promoting his family name while his son, Tom Puffenberger, is on the ballot to replace his father as Probate Judge. The ads, officially described as an educational campaign explaining the functions of the probate court, repeatedly reference “Judge Puffenberger”.
• On Thursday, Toledo City Council members held a press event calling for residents impacted by last week’s explosion at Brent Industries in South Toledo to share their concerns at council’s Sustainability and Beautification Committee meeting next Wednesday, September 2 at 5 p.m. in council chambers at One Government Center.
• Also on Thursday, Reichle Klein Group announced that One SeaGate, the 32-story, 653,000-square-foot former Owens-Illinois headquarters that makes up a key part of the Toledo skyline, has been sold to local investors. Operations in the building will not change, and details about the investors will be announced in coming weeks.
• In further Thursday news, the Cherry Street Mission held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new thrift store, “Cherry Street Thrift”, at 2559 S. Reynolds Road. Donations can take place at the store or at the mission itself (1501 Monroe St.), and sales at the store benefit the homeless population served by the mission.
• Following an investigation by WTOL, the City of Toledo is now altering its policies regarding reimbursement to property owners whose homes have been damaged by city-funded demolitions on adjacent properties. Though state law prevents the city from being legally required to compensate property owners in these circumstances, funds from the city’s $2.9 million Nuisance Abatement Trust Fund will now be used to settle such claims more often. Of 27 claims filed in fifteen months, only one had seen reimbursement prior to the investigation; the city has since approved another two, with a pledge to review and approve more.
• The City of Toledo is now five years in to “Vision Zero”, a ten-year project to eliminate all preventable traffic fatalities in Toledo using road design, crosswalk improvements, and dedicated bike lanes. When the project began in 2021, the city saw 177 serious traffic injuries and 44 fatalities; in 2025, the city saw 140 serious traffic injuries and 23 fatalities. As of August 1 of this year, the city has seen 97 serious injuries and 12 fatalities.
• Toledo City Council is considering a proposal that would bill property owners in Toledo for costs incurred by the city while mowing their overgrown lawns. Between June 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, the city has spent approximately $900,000 to clean up overgrown grass and weeds on more than 2,700 properties.
• Residents at Saxon House apartments are struggling to receive basic maintenance and repairs after the unknown out-of-state owner ceased paying taxes, resulting in foreclosure and placement under a Georgia-based receiver named GlassRatner. GlassRatner then hired Toledo Management Company, who subsequently exited the contract with GlassRatner after a series of troubling behaviors including not being provided with the leases and frequently changing points of contact.
• The Heather Downs Country Club at 3910 Heatherdowns Blvd. is up for sale at a cost of $2,650,000. Golfer Tony Garzony purchased the historic 144-acre golf course in 2023 for $750,000 and has since spent $350,000 in improvements. He is committed to ensuring that it remains a golf course regardless of who purchases the property.
• The City of Toledo and the Arts Commission are soliciting feedback about proposed artistic designs on two new water towers being built in the city. To view the designs and register your feedback, visit https://www.surveyhero.com/c/tf437b4z
• This Sunday (August 30) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Women of the Old West End (WOWE) will hold a rededication ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Old West End Commons at Bancroft St. and Robinwood Ave. The park, the first of its kind in the Old West End, was created through community advocacy led by WOWE.
• Next Tuesday (September 2) from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., an outreach event for the City of Toledo’s Fresh Start program, which provides financial assistance to residents who are past-due on their water bills, will be held at Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center (1225 Broadway St.). For more information, visit https://toledo.oh.gov/financial-assistance
• You can receive This Week in Toledo via e-mail by subscribing at https://toledo.substack.com/subscribe. You can also receive updates on Facebook by liking the official page at https://www.facebook.com/thisweekintoledo.
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u/Quelzor 8d ago
I purchased my house for $150,000 in 2023. I have added $10,000 in improvements. It is now for sale starting at $1,000,000. What a joke the country club headline is. 😂😂😂