TIFFIN, OH (WTOL) - The City of Tiffin could be bringing new life to the former East Junior High.
Mayor Aaron Montz toured the building and said city leaders are considering the possibility of renovating the building to become the new Tiffin Municipal Court.
"I think there is a lot of potential with the building," said Montz.
The building has been vacant for ten years. Montz said it looks to be structurally sound and has great architectural value. However, he admits the building, with boarded up windows and graffiti, needs work.
"The innards are in rough shape. It would obviously need a new boiler, new wiring, and a lot of the walls, ceilings, that kind of thing," said Montz.
Montz said the city needs a new municipal court because the current facility is too small and lacks security.
"We have very severe security concerns with the City Municipal Court. We essentially have none when it comes to security," said Montz.
East Junior High is currently owned by a private LLC. Montz said the city would have no interest in purchasing the building before renovation, instead would look for a private developer to renovate.
The Mayor said after renovation, the city could rent, lease or lease-to-own the building. The city would also use it for office space.
"There are a lot of intriguing possibilities in this building, its unfortunately going to come down if a private developer A) has the interest and B) can do it at a price that makes sense for the city. That's the biggest challenge. At the end of the day, our best option may just be to build a new municipal building," said Montz.
Tiffin City Council members will tour the former school at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Because meetings are open to the public, community members can also go on the tour.
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Source: City of Tiffin
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