Employee Spotlight: Toledo's Urban Beautification Demolition Team

Team from left to right: Mike Scott, Alicia Gonzalez, Anna Ruggiero, Terrance Daniels, Tyson Jackson, Steve Oberhaus, Lester Turner, Mark Bates, Kody Fry, Derek Spoerl, Blake Smith, Jennifer Edwards, Lawrence Stoll, Tild Reed, and Ernest Wiggins

First comes the sound of metal clinking. Then wood snaps, walls give way, and the house folds in on itself, leaving behind a stark, cleared footprint. On the day of Toledo's final planned ODOD and ARPA-funded demolition, the Urban Beautification Demolition Team watched one more blighted house come down, closing out a program more than three and a half years in the making.

The team started with a list of more than 1,000 blighted properties. Some were later removed after owners obtained permits, completed inspections and rehabilitated their homes, while others were added as the team worked through the program. In the end, the team planned and completed the demolition of 878 properties, and emergency and fire-related demolitions brought the total to 1,091 properties.

Anna Ruggiero, manager and coordinator of demolition, said the crews took on properties that were challenging from the start.

"They don't get enough recognition. It's tough work. They are tearing down the worst of the worst," Ruggiero said.

Instead of turning the massive undertaking over to outside contractors, Toledo relied on its own workforce.

"By relying on skilled City workers, we saved taxpayer dollars and kept quality control directly in our hands. Their hard work and unwavering commitment have set a completely new standard for how we improve neighborhoods across Toledo," Ruggiero said.

The crews worked around neighboring properties, in tight spaces and on structures in extreme disrepair. Some jobs required immediate action after a fire or when a structure became unsafe.

"They took on the most challenging, hazardous properties in our city, working in incredibly tight quarters on structures in extreme disrepair, and they got the job done," Ruggiero said.

The work did not always happen during normal hours.

"They are out here in the elements. They're getting called in the middle of the night to come out and tear down a property because it's on fire," Ruggiero said.

By the time the team reached South Toledo, it had made two complete passes through the target areas.

For Heavy Equipment Operator Steve Oberhaus, the final demolition is part of a much longer City career. He has worked for the City for 25 years, building his way up after growing up around heavy equipment on a farm.

"I started on the bottom and I just knew I wanted to keep working up," Oberhaus said.

His years with the City have also been about providing for his family.

"I raised all my kids. Me and my wife, we raised the kids on everything in the City of Toledo. And it's just been great," Oberhaus said.

After 25 years, Oberhaus said the people around him have become part of what makes the job special. Mikle Scott, the demolition superintendent, is one of them.

"I got a great boss. I don't know what I'm going to do when he retires, you know? He's become a part of my family," Oberhaus said.

That sense of connection is what makes the Labor Day message fitting. The demolition team is part of a union workforce, with City employees represented by AFSCME Local 7 and Local 2058. Their work reflects what organized labor brings to public service every day, skilled workers, experience, teamwork and a commitment to getting difficult jobs done for the people of Toledo.

The ODOD and ARPA-funded program may be ending, but the work is not.

"While this specific grant-funded program is wrapping up, our core mission doesn't stop. There is still vital work ahead," Ruggiero said.

For Ruggiero, the achievement comes down to the people who carried the work from the first property to the last.

"It's tough work. It's not glamorous work. And I'm just proud that I'm a part of it," Ruggiero said.

When the final demolition was complete, the team marked the milestone together over a celebratory lunch, a small thank-you for three and a half years of hard work.

That is what Labor Day is about, recognizing the people who show up, do the hard work and make a difference in their communities. For the demolition team, 1,091 properties are more than a number. They are 1,091 steps toward safer neighborhoods, made possible by the people who did the work.

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