NEWS

Council approves art park wall agreement

Andrew Carter
Reporter

BUCYRUS - The proposed Schines Art Park project can move forward following Bucyrus City Council's approval of an agreement with the owners of Midwest Furniture.

Council voted 5-1 in support of the resolution that allows the city to enter into an agreement with Doug and Linda Godwin, owners of Midwest Furniture, regarding the north wall of their building at 310 S. Sandusky Ave. That wall is adjacent to the proposed location of the art park, former site of the Bucyrus Theatre.

"We're going to make a call to the bidders on the project and say, 'Fire it up. Let's get going,'" Mayor Jeff Reser said following the meeting, which included a lengthy debate about the agreement. "We've got enough money to put the wall up now. We've got the agreement. We need to raise a little more money to put the finish on it, but we can sure get it started."

Under terms of the agreement, the city is responsible for soliciting private funding to build a wall that will connect to the existing wall of Midwest Furniture. Reser said the city has already raised $42,000.

The agreement also grants the city right of first refusal should the Godwins receive an offer from another buyer. According to the agreement, the building that houses Midwest Furniture has an appraised value of $137,000.

Debate about the agreement with the Godwins began during the public lands and buildings report when Ward 3 Council Person William O'Rourke voiced concerns about the language of the agreement and the proposal to build a wall connecting to the north wall of Midwest Furniture.

O'Rourke said after reviewing reports from the structural engineer and appraiser who were consulted about the wall, he believes attaching a new wall to the existing wall is ill-advised.

"Just the idea of trying to tie a wall into a building that's 120 years old, and trying to get a secure base on that, I just don't know about that," he said. "I wouldn't mind a free-standing wall and I wouldn't object to a fence. If they raise the additional money, another $50,000, to build a free-standing wall, fine. I just don't like the idea of tying in."

O'Rourke also took issue with the language of the agreement between the city and the Godwins that would give the city the option of purchasing the building "in as-is .. condition for $100,000."

"I just don't see putting the city on the hook for $100,000," he said. "If Mr. Godwin is no longer there for some reason and puts it up for sale, I just don't see spending the city's money on that. This is a no-win situation for the city."

Reser said development of the park will be a significant accomplishment for the city.

"We get so many people who come through this town, from south to north, north to south," he said. "Those types of things are the impressions you get of this town. That theater sat there for 20 years and it was an embarrassment. But with this park coming, I think we just saved most of that city block. Those are historic buildings that give the city character."

The mayor said "if all goes well, we could have a park up there by the fall."

Milton Underwood, secretary and treasurer for the Central Joint Ambulance District, addressed council regarding an email the mayor sent to the county commissioners concerning the possibility of forming a joint fire district. Reser informed Underwood that no formal talks have occurred and that the email reflects "preliminary thoughts" on the issue to gauge interest.

Council voted to delay action on a resolution regarding the roof of the city hall. The resolution called for the safety-service director to request schematics for a pitched roof from Brandstetter Carroll Inc., at a cost of $35,000. City hall currently has a rubber roof installed in 2005. The public lands and buildings committee discussed the possibility of replacing the rubber roof with a trussed shingled or steel roof.

eacarter@gannett.com

740-375-5154

Twitter: @AndrewCarterMS