CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The long-vacant Buck Stop Bar & Grille in Chesterland is finally coming down, thanks to a $132,000 state grant. The once-popular staple at the corner of Routes 302 and 306 has sat empty and deteriorating for years.
Developer Loreto Iafelice Jr. lives near the property and is part of the team that purchased the property a couple of years ago.
"There was a lot of environmental remediation that needs to be done inside that was really prohibiting anything from happening at this property," Iafelice said.
Chester Township Trustee Brandon Davis said getting rid of the eyesore was one of his top priorities when he first took office.
"It can't be saved," Davis said. "It can't be developed unless this comes down. It's really a disaster inside. They had drilled holes in the roof, which is what caused part of the collapse because of their illegal operation going on."
According to a Chester Township police report, the owners evicted the last tenant over rent issues in 2019, while police investigated what appeared to be a makeshift bitcoin mining operation in the building's upstairs — installed without the proper cooling or power supply.
Iafelice and Davis worked with the Geauga County Department of Community and Economic Development to secure the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program Grant.
The demolition is expected to happen before winter. Iafelice said the timeline is a priority, and he expects that once demolition begins, it will take only about two weeks.
"Sooner than later — I know we're jonesing to get it down," Iafelice said. "Maybe end of this summer, if not we'll be into the fall, but before the snow starts flying."
No specific plans for the site's future have been announced yet.
"We don't have anything specific lined up," Iafelice said. "I'm sure many residents got tired of seeing this in this state. It's been a long wait, the wait was well worth it, and we're going to do something great for Chesterland."
"It's a huge deal," Davis said. "Our community has been looking at this for a long time. It's an eyesore."
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
