TOLEDO, Ohio - The Lucas County Land Bank is asking for more time to consider an offer from the Diocese of Toledo for St. Anthony's Church.
WTOL 11 reports Land Bank president David Mann replied to a letter from Bishop Daniel Thomas, asking the Diocese for more time before deciding whether or not to accept the Bishop's offer of the building and land on Nebraska Ave. In his letter, Mann asked for time to have the building completely inspected before deciding whether the Land Bank will accept the Bishop's offer. Saying the Land Bank "cannot meet the arbitrary and artificial deadline," Mann asked for the deadline for a decision extended to June 21.
Bishop Thomas offered Wednesday to give St. Andrew's and the property it sits on to the Land Bank outright in a letter. Thomas had set a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday for a response from the Land Bank.
St. Anthony's Catholic Church was built in 1891, but hasn't hosted regular services since 2005. The Diocese of Toledo announced late last year that it planned on demolishing the building. That work was scheduled to begin on Monday, before efforts from Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, Congresswoman Marcy Katptur and others were begun to save the building.