Akron council approves Firestone tower removal, but there's a catch

Akron City Councilman Donnie Kammer told his colleagues Sept. 22 he wants to make sure the city "exhausts every effort" to redevelop the historic Firestone Plant 1 and clock tower before moving forward with a time-sensitive plan to demolish the site.

So the council left the door cracked open for advocates of preserving all or part of the landmark to find a champion before wrecking crews arrive.

The council voted 11-0 to authorize a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the complex at 1200 Firestone Parkway — with the caveat that the city must wait 60 days before starting in case a qualified developer steps forward with a viable plan to preserve the building.

City Council's action came after Akron Mayor Shammas Malik's administration appealed the Urban Design and Historic Preserva