Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Chris Fritzwater of Warren watches the early demolition stages of the Summit Street Dam from the Summit Street bridge Thursday.

WARREN — Demolition of the Summit Street dam began Thursday.

While construction crews worked on the dam Thursday, it is unclear how long the project is expected to take. Several city officials did not return calls for comment.

The project is 100% funded with dollars from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and state capital appropriations money obtained through Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, according to Tribune Chronicle archives.

Ohio EPA will cover $1.7 million of the cost, while roughly $1.5 million is from the state.

The Summit Street dam, many decades ago, generated hydro-electricity for an adjacent power plant, which has since been demolished.

The dam sits on the Mahoning River, half in Warren’s 1st ward and half in its 2nd ward.

Councilman Andrew Herman, D-2nd Ward, who said he canoes the river often, said he “does not have a problem,” with the demolition of the dam.

“I think most people in the city would want to see the riverfront developed because that’s a way for us to market our city,” Herman said. “All the way from Summit Street dam to downtown, that’s supposed to get all developed … There’s a great potential there.”

In April 2022, a lawsuit was brought against the city by the family of Lisa Zitello, who was critically injured while kayaking near the dam May 3, 2020.

The lawsuit charged the city with gross negligence, reckless performance of a governmental function and negligent performance of a proprietary function. The accident happened when the river current caused Zitello to be pulled over the dam and trapped in an underwater hydraulic current. Zitello eventually was retrieved from the Mahoning River by two fishermen.

Zitello’s attorney claimed she was unaware of the dam’s existence or the danger it posed because there were no indications of the river’s trail ending.

The removal of the Summit Street dam also impacts Eastgate’s “River of Opportunity” plan which seeks to rebrand and reidentify the river. According to Eastgate’s website, the plan seeks to “give the river the credit it deserves and allow it to be our centerpiece for the valley.”

Stephanie Dyer, Environmental Program Manager with Eastgate, said the dam removals have been “first and foremost” for the organization and that the “River of Opportunity” work has been the “icing on the cake” for that plan.

“For the environmental department at Eastgate, our focus has always been on improving the water quality of the Mahoning River,” Dyer said. “These dams are an impairment to water quality. By removing them, you’re going to see a better, more robust improvement in the water quality.”

Dyer said such improvements to the river quality due to dam removal are not just in terms of chemicals, but also in aquatic life.

Herman said because the original purpose of the dam, to generate hydroelectricity, is no longer needed, he is glad to see its removal.

“That use is no longer in play and a new use of the river, to allow us to go all the way from like Burbank Park to downtown, that’s the new use,” he said. “To do that, you’re going to have to take that dam down.”

Mayor Doug Franklin, Safety / Service Director Eddie Colbert, Council President John Brown and Todd Johnson, an independent councilman in the 1st Ward, did not return messages seeking comment.