In a long-shuttered Wonder Bread factory in Toledo’s oldest neighborhood, a walk across the shop floor echoes with the generations of local residents who supported their families and built up their communities on the strength of the iconic bakery brand. It is a far cry from the creeping blight that had become its hallmark in more recent years. Abandoned and deteriorating, the historic building had become a symbol of lost jobs and opportunities.
But that is finally changing.
After three years of planning, work is underway on a renovation project that will convert the old factory’s soaring ceiling and red brick facade into 33 units of loft-style workforce housing, as well as ground-floor commercial space. Apartments will be affordable to people earning 80-120 percent of the area’s median income, which is nearly $72,000 in Toledo.
The transformation is meant to offer quality, affordable housing options to residents and help energize the surrounding Vistula Historic District, just north of downtown, where economic opportunity has been fleeting, and the aging housing stock is, in many cases, crumbling.
Thanks to the Lucas County Land Bank, which stepped in to take control of the abandoned property in 2017, and ARK Restoration and Construction, which then purchased the property from the land bank, this community will have a new source of housing that can anchor additional development efforts.
ARK is led by Ambrea Mikolajczyk and her husband Kevin. A certified woman-owned and minority-owned business, ARK has a clear commitment to creative projects that promote strong, healthy communities.
To support their efforts, LISC provided $4.7 million in financing through the ProMedica-LISC Health Impact Fund, which focuses on opportunities to address social determinants of health like quality housing, living wage jobs, and access to fresh food and health care services. LISC also provided predevelopment support to help fuel the planning stages of the project, which tapped historic tax credits as part of its capital stack.
“In order to pull a project like this through in an underserved community, you need the support of the city, you need the support of people to come alongside of you and know that yes, the project is unique, but the value is there and just how big an impact it will have on the community,” said Mikolajczk. “It takes all of us to make something like this happen and change the continued narrative,” she said.
The renovation effort is expected to be completed later this year. Check out this video from LISC Toledo to see the property, meet its proponents, and hear about this transformative renovation effort.