Four people yesterday gathered outside the Toledo Sports Arena on the city's east side to protest the buildings scheduled demolition in July.

Larry Ocheske urged people passing in cars to support the arena and tried to wave people into the parking lot to join his cause.

Earlier this week, Lucas County Commissioners executed purchase agreements totaling about $6 million to obtain the Subway restaurant, the former Club Bijou night club, the Golden Lily Chinese restaurant, and other buildings and parking lots on Superior and Huron streets and Jefferson Avenue.

The county now owns most of the land it needs to build a multipurpose arena downtown.

Mr. Ocheske said building an arena downtown is not what most East Toledo residents want to see happen.

"You might not see a big crowd, but the support is here," he said.