CIRCLEVILLE – Two buildings were talked about during the Circleville Committee of the Whole, Everts building that has sat empty for a number of years without any action on it and the second property was the second fire station located on Circleville’s South end side that was vacated several months ago by safety forces.
During the Committee of the Whole meeting council went into executive session to discuss and authorize the mayor to negotiate with Pickaway Progress Partnership to develop the South Court Street Fire House property for economic development. Recently Southern Ohio Development Group LLC purchased the South end school location and is planning on building a retail/warehouse space in that location. They were also included in the executive session last night at council. The fire station is located beside the old school on South Court Street. Plans to develop the South End school location into a retail/warehouse location would be inside the city limits and Circleville would be included in the taxes for this property.
According to the fire Department the south end fire department was vacated because of lack of experience. Most of Circleville’s fire department has less that 2 years experience with some having less than a year.
Split positions on the Everts building lasted over a hour last night, hashing up old talks on the Everts building included anyone who was interested in the building. The mayor last night told council that YMCA and PICCA are planning a community center and had no interest in the building.
Councilman Spring brought up old talks from Pickaway Arts and Life Center and that they had not gotten fair response to the city, and are the only interested party in the several years of talk.
Councilman Barry Keller said that the building had not had power for many years, and with our current budget situations he felt that they didn’t have any real answers to the property and council should consider disposing of the property. Keller also said that safety forces need to be funded first, then the unfunded Ted Lewis Park. They should make a decision on Everts on April 16, if you have any interest in what happens to the Everts property this would be the time to comment.
The property does need to hold its historic marker for four more years because it is tied to the renovation tax credits for the main school building into senior housing.
