Article published August 11, 2009
Seneca County Courthouse report is full of details to make the case
'We're headed in the right direction,' Nutter says
By TOM TROY
BLADE POLITICS WRITER
TIFFIN, Ohio - The head of a group aiming to save and restore the abandoned Seneca County Courthouse turned in his final report Monday, a thick photo-and-drawing-filled document stuffed with the kinds of details supporters hope will win over hesitant county residents.
Franklin Conaway, head of the Seneca County Courthouse and Downtown Redevelopment Group, then urged the commissioners to take a stand in favor of the historic preservation project instead of their original plan to tear down the building and construct a new one.
He said he has more than 40 organizations and individuals ready to start working on raising public and private funds to help pay for the project.
"We're chomping at the bit to get a resolution because I think we're going to see a very rapid response. I think you'll see commitment letters coming pretty fast," Mr. Conaway told the commissioners.
He said that the capital campaign would ensure that all funds are spent exclusively on construction, and that the campaign would set a deadline of October, 2010, to meet or exceed its goal.
County Commission President Ben Nutter said he wants to pass a resolution, but said he's still working on legal language. The resolution would express the commissioners' support for the renovation of the courthouse, contingent on the funding package being assembled.He said he wants to ensure that if the project fails to move forward, the county isn't obligated to reimburse the courthouse development organization for its work.
The group so far has worked at no cost to the county, although it has asked commissioners to agree to reimburse it up to $250,000 if they decide to go with the renovation plan and it costs less than removing and replacing the building.
"We're headed in the right direction, and I will work as fast as possible to make that happen," Mr. Nutter said.
Mr. Conaway said reimbursement is not the reason he wants to move ahead, and said he was certain an agreement could be worked out on the reimbursements that is fair to the county.
Commissioner Dave Sauber said after the hearing that he favors a resolution, but doesn't want to short-circuit the county's application for a declaratory judgment from Seneca County Common Pleas Court that the county has the right to demolish the building if it is unable to win a certificate of appropriateness from Tiffin's Architectural Board of Review.
"My concern is the judge is going to throw it out and not make a ruling if he sees we've moved ahead," Mr. Sauber said. "I don't want to go back possibly a year from now and readdress this same issue.
"I have no problem allowing Franklin and his group by resolution to start the process of raising funds," Mr. Sauber said. "I'm very impressed with the group. We asked for numbers, they've given us numbers."
Mr. Nutter said he would like to have seen a ruling by now, but views it as a separate issue from whether to allow the renovation fund-raising to move forward.
Commissioner Mike Bridinger has been a proponent of renovation from the beginning of his term. He reiterated his support.
Theresa Sullivan, president of the Tiffin Historic Trust, said the plan proves the project is "fiscally responsible."
"We need to get the information to the public so they can make an informed decision," Ms. Sullivan said.
The portfolio seems aimed at persuasion. The book contrasts a color photo of the current approach to downtown Tiffin and one with a stately tower on top.
The Seneca County Courthouse and Downtown Redevelopment Group has been producing ever more detailed plans to restore the 1884 courthouse, reconfigure the space to accommodate the two common pleas courts and clerk of courts, and outfit the building with modern technology, windows, and mechanical systems.
The current plan's budget of $7,995,000 includes nearly $1.5 million in architectural restoration that would be paid for with grants and private fund-raising, including getting rid of the Art Deco clock tower added in the 1940s and replacing it with a replica of the original tower.
The plan calls for removing the elevator shaft installed down the middle of the four-story rotunda and tearing out the law library that was built in the top half of the third-floor courtroom.
In his new portfolio, Mr. Conaway said the new building would comply with "green" building trends by using existing materials and taking advantage of the ability of heavy masonry walls to store and radiate energy.
And he said the renovated courthouse would invigorate other downtown revitalization efforts.
"It's been very well established that beautiful environments bring people," he said.
Also new in the portfolio is the determination that walls in the second-floor courtroom support only the weight of walls and new floor that were added in the third-floor courtroom. That means the walls can be removed at less cost than would have been the case if they support the full weight of the upstairs floors.
The portfolio is expected to be placed on the county commissioners' Web site so the public can view it.
The commissioners took no action on a proposal to hire MKC Associates to review the courthouse renovation plan, at a top cost of $1,600.
Contact Tom Troy at:
tomtroy@theblade.com
or 419-724-6058.
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