The exterior view doesn't reveal serious structural issues lurking inside the old Butler high school building leaving the city of Butler to make some costly, possibly painful decisions in the not-so-distant future
The roughly century old schoolhouse certainly holds many fond memories; currently serves some important tenants; and preserving this landmark has remained a priority since the city of Butler acquired it some 55 years ago however, due to its aging infrastructure, money will need to come from somewhere to repair it. Or worse yet, tear it down.
Discussions have been ongoing within the Butler city council for quite some time regarding exactly where to go from here and at current, major leaks in the roof are the cause of serious water damage to wooden joists and likely resulting in mold as well- compounding issues almost on a daily basis. Additional damage from leaking windows and other maintenance problems only add to the mix, according to information received as of late.
This week, yet another discussion was held that revealed some high priced solutions leaving the council to decide where to go from here as engineering estimates were quite a bit higher than anticipated- an educated guess upwards of possibly $100,000 to fix just the current issues, not including an unknown amount to other repair concerns found during renovation. Add to that, any long term solution should include replacement of windows, doors and other ancillary items to keep it dry and increase energy efficiency.
"At what point does it become a liability?" questioned Ward 4 councilman Scott Mallatt who likened it to the building on the southeast corner of the square that collapsed in 2015. Loose bricks could be a strong indicator of things to come and the first priority in any case is safety as City Administrator Corey Snead added that the engineering firm said that in their opinion, if action isn't taken, a roof collapse could be eminent within a 5 year or so time frame.
Those most in danger would be current tenants who are the Old High School Thrift Store, a quilting shop and the Adrian theater group who occasionally uses the gym for performances, as well as the annual Safety Village program. The possible displacement of these folks begged even more questions from those present. "The city would do whatever we can to help them find new locations" said Snead, in the event the building is recommended by engineers to be condemned, which is likely to happen if a resolution doesn't come fairly soon.
He went on to explore options such as keeping the gym and taking down the rest, but costs could be staggering as a temporary wall would have to be built in the meantime. Ward 1 councilman Tim Young, in regard to keeping the gym, questioned that as Butler is slated to get a YMCA sometime in the future, would it be a good idea to sink money into an old building that couldn't compete anyway?
As the discussion ensued, councilwoman Doncella Liggins voiced that in her opinion, it's not cost effective to keep it. Her sentiments came with sympathy, but added factors such as a cost of almost $25,000 a year just to keep the doors open (insurance, maintenance, etc.) also come into play as tenants currently don't pay rent.
But as the math works out, whatever rent that could be received would be just a drop in the bucket towards mounting repair costs.
Selling the old alma mater might be a solution for a buyer who 'thinks big' and could turn it into what works for them- Administrator Snead said that he has talked to a few prospects, but so far nothing has gelled and he'll press ahead in the meantime. He went on to emphasize that the key would be to find a buyer with the best of intentions to insure the "very best outcome possible for everyone".
It is likely this discussion will continue in the upcoming August 5th council meeting.
