Cleanup of Ra-Nik property begins

Cleanup of the former Ra-Nik property, located at 119 Clinton Court, is underway. The 1.2-acre property, which is considered a brownfield property, is located on the north side of the Blanchard River in downtown Findlay and is owned by the city. The land is part of the property that will be used for the construction of a second set of river benches in Findlay's downtown. The benches will be built along the north side of the river, from the Main Street bridge to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway overpass at East Main Cross Street. Construction of the second set of benches could begin this year. The first project, a $6.1-million project, cut benches into the north riverbank for about 3,500 feet between the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge and Broad Avenue. Last year, the Hancock County commissioners' office received $492,800 for the cleanup from the Ohio Department of Development's Brownfield Remediation Program. The city has contracted with Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., of Toledo, and the King Environmental Group, of Findlay, for the work. Constructed in 1890, the now-vacant structure was once an operational nickel plating company. The Superior Plating Company, a hard chrome plating facility, operated on the site from the early 1960s through 1981, according to county records. The property is contaminated with metals and other chemicals. Cleanup activities will include pre-demolition, asbestos removal, demolition, transportation and disposal.