“We’re trying to save it if we can,” Downie told the Journal-News. “I just don’t think we can keep tearing iconic landmarks down and still keep the flavor of Hamilton.
“I love what’s going on with the renewal in Hamilton, but I’m almost 70 years old and I love some of the old stuff too.”
Brandon Saurber, Hamilton’s director of strategy and information, said the city is putting out a request for proposals for the property, hoping a developer may take interest. The request should be going out next month, and a decision on demolition will be made by mid-summer.
“It’s a tale of two cities with that building,” he said. “There are those, I think even within the neighborhood group currently, those that would like to see it saved. I know some of the residents personally and particularly those who look at it more frequently, would just like to see it demoed.”
The property was donated to Hamilton last summer, and the city sought help from the Butler County land bank to demolish it.
Tom Vanderhorst, Hamilton’s director of external affairs, at that time said the city received constant complaints about the abandoned school and he didn’t believe the structure is “savable.”
“There have been 40 complaints associated with this property,” Vanderhorst wrote in the demolition assistance application. “These include tall grass/weeds on the property, securing the structure, repairs to the exterior, repairs to the interior, rubbish on property, graffiti, junk motor vehicles on property, cistern removal and rehabilitation or demolition orders.”
The Butler County land bank board agreed to pay $37,500 toward the $75,000 cost to tear down the old school. The total cost to deal with the property, including asbestos removal and other requirements, was $100,000.
Saurber said the city has no plans to re-purpose the property but everyone seems to have the same goal.
“I don’t know that the community collectively has a desired use of the facility,” he said. “Other than to see the blight removed or improved.”
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Kathy Dudley, executive director of the Butler County land bank, said the demolition is on hold, pending conclusion of Hamilton’s process.
Downie said his group doesn’t have a particular re-use in mind.
“I don’t think we have any specific plans,” Downie said. “We would leave that up to any developer that wanted to come in and do anything with it.”
Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix, who chairs the land bank board, said she wouldn’t presume to tell Hamilton officials what to do with the building. When she was on Middletown City Council years ago she recalled several times residents implored the city to save historic structures like old schools.
Quoting one of her mentors on that governing board, she said, “you need to bury your dead.”
“I thought that rang true,” she said. “You need to bury your dead. Once your buildings are of no further value, get them down.”
The old Taylor School building has temporarily escaped the wrecking the ball. Hamilton officials plan to send out a request for proposals to developers who may want to preserve the “iconic” landmark.
Here’s what’s happened:
• Last summer the school property was donated to the city by Randy Barger.
• In July the Butler County land bank agreed to pay half the $75,000 cost for demolition.
• Neighborhood organization People Reaching Out To Others: Celebrating Our Lindenwald (PROTOCOL) members ask the city to explore all options before tearing the structure down.
• Demolition is put on hold.
• The city plans to go out for a request for proposals from developers in May.
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