June 27, 200816 yr Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS17/806270378/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published June 27, 2008 Seneca County proposes Tiffin buy courthouse $500K price tag put on historic building By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - If the city of Tiffin wants to see the Seneca County courthouse preserved, the county commissioners suggest the city save it. The commissioners yesterday delivered a letter to Mayor Jim Boroff and city council members, offering to transfer the courthouse to Tiffin for $500,000 on the condition the building be renovated. Gov. Ted Strickland, who previously offered to secure $2 million in state funds to help renovate the courthouse, said through a spokesman that he "would be happy to work with the city on its efforts to renovate" the historic courthouse. State Rep. Peter Ujvagi (D-Toledo), who is promoting a plan for the state to create a program to help counties save their historic courthouses, said there is $150 million set aside for public improvement projects in the state's $1.5 billion jobs and economic stimulus program.
July 8, 200816 yr Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/NEWS17/807080373/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published July 8, 2008 Board opts not to vote on request to demolish Seneca courthouse By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - People hoping to save Seneca County's courthouse received some good news yesterday. The Tiffin Architectural Board of Review declined to reconsider a proposal to tear down the 1884 courthouse. David Sauber, president of the board of commissioners, repeatedly asked the review board to "re-vote" on the county's application for a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the downtown landmark, saying commissioners had explored every possible option for the building. The review board rejected the county's application by a 5-0 vote on June 10.
July 12, 200816 yr Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080712/NEWS17/807120415/-1/NEWS Article published July 12, 2008 Governor requests delay in razing of historic Seneca County courthouse By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER For the second time, Gov. Ted Strickland has asked Seneca County officials to hold off on demolishing the historic county courthouse in Tiffin. "We have been in communication with the commissioners and have asked them to provide the governor's office with a heads-up before taking any irreparable action so that the governor can prevent the courthouse's demolition," Keith Dailey, a spokesman for Governor Strickland said yesterday. He said the governor would like to help Tiffin purchase the landmark - an offer recently made by county commissioners and rejected by the city as unaffordable and unworkable. "The governor is committed to working to find the funds necessary for the city to purchase the courthouse," Mr. Dailey said. "If the city purchases the courthouse, the governor will work to assist the city with renovations over the long term."
July 23, 200816 yr Two articles from the Toledo Blade: Pitch for private takeover of Seneca County courthouse buoys hopes By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - Seneca County's 1884 courthouse may yet dodge the wrecking ball. A Chillicothe, Ohio preservation consultant yesterday told county commissioners he is convinced that a yet-to-be-identified private entity could take it over and turn it into "an exciting mix of cultural, government, entertainment, educational, some retail, and possibly restaurant uses." What's more, said Franklin Conaway, the county might be able to transfer ownership of the building to the state of Ohio, which could work with a private developer that would qualify for historic preservation tax credits not available to county government. Full story: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080718/NEWS17/807180404 ___________________________________________________________________ Seneca County delays hiring firm to raze courthouse By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - Architects hired to oversee the demolition of Seneca County's 1884 courthouse yesterday recommended commissioners hire a Cleveland firm to raze the downtown landmark at a cost of $365,000. While the bid was considerably lower than commissioners had anticipated, they took no action on the recommendation from MKC Associates, in part because they are negotiating with Tiffin's Architectural Board of Review over alternatives to demolition. Full Story: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080723/NEWS17/807230441
July 23, 200816 yr Hey - just got an e-mail from the architect who proposed the underground/sub-grade addition to the Seneca County Courthouse. This is a link to a website he has created, which includes a copy of the proposal given to the Commissioners. Looks intriguing. http://senecacountycourthouse.blogspot.com/ Thomas/presOhio
August 15, 200816 yr Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/NEWS17/808150402 Article published August 15, 2008 Ohio offers aid, tax-credit plan to save Seneca County courthouse Proposal calls for private owner By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - As Seneca County teeters on the brink of tearing down its historic 1884 courthouse, the Ohio Department of Development yesterday laid out a plan to provide up to $900,000 for renovation, plus up to an additional $2 million for the project in historic tax credits. In a letter to consultant Franklin Conaway that also was sent to the three county commissioners, Mark Barbash, assistant director and chief development officer for the development department, explained how the state could assist a yet unidentified, nonpublic owner/developer in returning the vacant courthouse to "productive use." "We believe efforts to leverage the state's existing assets and revitalize communities like Tiffin are important elements of Ohio's economic development strategy," he wrote.
August 15, 200816 yr If the county isn't going to occupy the courthouse, I'd almost rather see it torn down. Mr. Nutter - who has found fault with every proposal for renovating the county's historic courthouse since he personally wrote a space-needs plan for the county calling for demolition of the structure - insisted yesterday the state's proposal was "not even close" to workable. I love this sentence...so direct.
August 15, 200816 yr One important thing missing from this article: How much money have Seneca commissioners budgeted for demolition of the courthouse? I'm sure demolition would cost more than the modest $150,000 they should cough up as seed money for the DOD package. Plus, they'd get money from the sale of the building. I would not prefer demolition to non-county occupation of the building. And if anybody in Ohio can come up with a workable plan, it's Franklin Conaway. The guy has saved or helped save, buildings all over the state, and in other states. The Masonic Temple/Athenaeum in Columbus, the Octagon House in Circleville, the Douglas Hotel in Urbana, the railroad station in Santa Fe, to name a few.
August 19, 200816 yr Seneca County commissioners agree to discuss private development of courthouse Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080818/NEWS17/829078001 BLADE STAFF TIFFIN — Seneca County commissioners on Monday agreed to sit down with a team of development specialists who are putting together a plan to restore and reuse the county’s 1884 courthouse. Commissioners Ben Nutter and Mike Bridinger said they would consider a proposal for private development of the courthouse, although both had conditions that would have to be met for them to agree to such a plan, including making them whole for legal expenses and acquiring a new site to build a courthouse. Mr. Nutter agreed to represent the board Tuesday at a meeting in Columbus with state officials, attorneys, preservation consultant Franklin Conaway, and James Seney, a former Sylvania mayor who has worked in downtown re-development.
September 3, 200816 yr Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080903/NEWS17/809030422/-1/NEWS Article published September 3, 2008 Seneca County commission delays courthouse demolition Key to deal is how structure will be used By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - They still haven't committed to saving the county's 1884 courthouse, but the Seneca County commissioners again delayed plans to demolish the landmark and agreed to consider a plan to have another group renovate the historic courthouse and lease it back to the county so it could once again be used as the "seat" of county government. The board yesterday agreed to give a development group led by preservation consultant Franklin Conaway until Nov. 10 to show it a viable plan for renovating the downtown courthouse. That plan could involve transferring the building to a port authority, which would orchestrate a renovation plan that could benefit from tax credits and grants. Ultimately, the building could be rejuvenated for cultural, educational, even retail purposes or it could become the county courthouse again under a lease agreement between the port authority and the commissioners.
September 30, 200816 yr Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080929/NEWS17/809290256/-1/NEWS Article published September 29, 2008 Deal reached to rescue Seneca Co. courthouse from demolition By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN — A deal that could rescue Seneca County's historic 1884 courthouse from the wrecking ball was reached Monday morning between county commissioners and a development group putting together a plan to preserve the landmark. The Seneca County Courthouse Development Group agreed to place $80,000 in an escrow account at National City Bank in Tiffin by the end of the day Monday — money that would cover expenses the county incurred so far on demolition plans.
November 12, 200816 yr Seneca County courthouse rehab under port cheaper than new Officials skeptical of proposal Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081111/NEWS16/811110375 Allowing the local port authority to renovate Seneca County's historic 1884 courthouse could save the county nearly $2 million over the cost of demolishing it and building new, county commissioners were told yesterday. Commissioners made no decision on the landmark's future but asked the Seneca County Courthouse Development Group to provide it with more detailed information about the estimated $7.3 million cost to restore the building for the county's common pleas courts and clerk of courts office. The estimate included financing the project with $2.6 million in grants, which would make the county's renovation's cost about $5 million compared to the $6.9 million it planned to spend to raze the courthouse and build a smaller one.
November 22, 200816 yr Seneca County courthouse developers might get 6 more months Extension for preservationists mulled By Jennifer Feehan, Toledo Blade, November 21, 2008 TIFFIN - With assurances the county would not lose any money, Seneca County Commissioners plan to decide next month whether to give a six-month extension to a development group that proposes restoring the county's historic 1884 courthouse. Commissioner Dave Sauber, who had a lengthy conference call with preservation consultant Franklin Conaway and an attorney for the Seneca County Courthouse Development Group on Wednesday, told the board yesterday that the group plans to be in Tiffin on Dec. 4 to give commissioners "the meat and potatoes of this project," including details on how the project would work and what a 20-year lease of the renovated courthouse is expected to cost the county.
February 24, 200916 yr Somebody has not been keeping up on this issue: Article published February 18, 2009 Seneca County courthouse redo at $8.8M Still unsure, Seneca Co. officials OK hunt for grants By TOM TROY BLADE POLITICS WRITER TIFFIN, Ohio — Preservationists working on a proposal to restore the vacant 1884 Seneca County Courthouse Tuesday priced the project at $8.8 million, including a 9,000-square-foot addition connecting the old courthouse with the existing annex. The Seneca County commissioners remained undecided over whether to restore the historic building at the center of town or tear it down and build a structure to house county judges’ and clerk’s offices. But they agreed the county should contract with the Seneca County Courthouse Development Group to plan the renovation in more detail and start applying for preservation grants. Commission President Ben Nutter said his bottom line remains at $5.5 million or $6 million — leaving the preservation group to trim the cost of the project while coming up with grants to fill the gap and developing plans in greater detail. Full story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090218/NEWS16/458235208
March 11, 200916 yr Judge appointed to hear Seneca courthouse case By Jennifer Feehan, Toledo Blade, March 11, 2009 TIFFIN - Retired Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Charles Wittenberg has been appointed to determine whether the Seneca County commissioners may demolish the 1884 courthouse without the city of Tiffin's blessing. Commissioners filed a complaint against the city Jan. 27, asking the common pleas court to find they've "made reasonable attempts" to comply with a city ordinance that requires property owners in the downtown area to get a certificate of appropriateness from the city's Architectural Board of Review before razing or otherwise altering the exterior of historic structures. The review board denied the county's application last May and again in December. Commissioners contend their need to resolve the dispute over the vacant courthouse for the residents of Seneca County outweighs the need for the city to enforce its architectural review standards.
July 21, 200915 yr Full Story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090721/NEWS16/307219998 Article published July 21, 2009 Restoration group maps overhaul plan for 1884 Seneca County Courthouse Annual cost less than a new building By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN — They made their pitch. Now they’re waiting for Seneca County commissioners to get on board. The Seneca County Courthouse and Downtown Redevelopment Group spent more than three hours Monday outlining its plan to redesign and restore the county’s 1884 courthouse at a cost of just under $8 million. With grants and other sources available only for historic preservation projects, restoration would cost the county less than demolishing the landmark and building a new courthouse. “I’m excited about it and I want to get at it,” group member James Seney told commissioners. “I think this is a fascinating project. It’s a valuable project to the county, and there’s no question in my mind we can get it done. Let us do it.” County commissioners, who previously voted to raze the downtown landmark and replace it, repeatedly have said cost will be the determining factor in whether they could consider a renovation plan for the courthouse.
July 30, 200915 yr Full story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090730/NEWS16/907300376 Article published July 30, 2009 Preservation right course for Seneca County Courthouse, public is told By JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - A group working to restore Seneca County's 1884 courthouse last week began its campaign to convince the county commissioners that the landmark can be brought back to life. Last night, the same group delivered that message to the community. Inside the restored Ritz Theatre, just a block from the courthouse, more than 100 people heard about the details and looked at the plans assembled by the Seneca County Courthouse and Downtown Redevelopment Group. "I've been talking to a lot of people on the street in the last year and a lot of people look at the courthouse and shake their heads," said Franklin Conaway, a preservation consultant from Chillicothe, Ohio, leading the courthouse group. "One night, I was standing out in front and a lady looked at us and looked at the courthouse and said, 'Tear it down. I'm tired of looking at it,'" he recalled. With a stark, architecturally inappropriate clock tower and replacement windows that he said could break world records for ugly, he said he sympathizes in some ways with that sentiment. His group proposes to restore the courthouse to its original grandeur and restore the community pride that helped build it.
September 8, 200915 yr From the Toledo Blade!: Seneca County courthouse restoration slated for vote Tuesday By JENNIFER FEEHAN TIFFIN - After a long, hard fight by historic preservationists to save Seneca County's 1884 courthouse, the county commissioners are to vote this morning on a plan to do just that. http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090825/NEWS16/908250362
September 18, 200915 yr WHEW! All seven pages of articles edited to the new standards. I hope Seneca County can restore their courthouse. Check out the pdf that ink posted. The restoration renderings look awesome!
December 18, 200915 yr Seneca courthouse funding prospects viewed as positive Article published December 15, 2009 BY JENNIFER FEEHAN, BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN - After a gloomy discussion of 2010 budget requests Monday, Seneca County Commissioner Ben Nutter said he welcomed a chat with the Seneca County Courthouse and Downtown Redevelopment Group. "I'm sort of pleasantly surprised that I prefer discussing the courthouse to other things we have going on," quipped Mr. Nutter, who once felt strongly that the 1884 courthouse should be razed and replaced with a new building. Franklin Conaway, head of the courthouse group, said the county now has its "place in line" for a low-interest loan of up to $5 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office. Commissioner Dave Sauber and representatives of the courthouse group met last week with USDA officials at the agency's Findlay office, where Mr. Sauber signed the paperwork for the loan application. Under a $7.99 million plan to restore the courthouse, the development group would raise at least $1.45 million in grants and donations while the county would contribute $5 million. The balance would be paid with state and court funds. Full story at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091215/NEWS16/912150356
November 8, 201014 yr Catching up on some Seneca County Courthouse renovation news with two articles from the Toledo Blade. The first link is an article from June 8, 2010. The second link is an article from October 29, 2010: Commission OKs plan to obtain funds, hires architect for Seneca County Courthouse Courthouse project is still a go in Seneca Co. - Financing deadline won't halt plans
August 31, 201113 yr Wednesday, August 31, 2011 Courthouse on chopping block TIFFIN -- In a surprise announcement, Seneca County Commissioners unanimously approved a motion Tuesday to "seek bids for removal of the 1884 county courthouse." No resolution was approved. Commissioner Ben Nutter said many things have happened with the courthouse over the seven years he's been on the board. He had been working on a usage plan for the building, voters defeated several ballot issues, millions of dollars in state funds have been lost, a group has tried to raise money for a portion of the project and the commissioners are unsure if the funds would be available for the county's share of the project. The state is slashing its budget, including about $1 million in Local Government Funds for the county. "It's practically an impossibility we would ever have the revenue to renovate (the courthouse)," Nutter said. Read more at: http://www.reviewtimes.com/Issues/2011/Aug/31/ar_news_083111_story1.asp?d=083111_story1,2011,Aug,31&c=n
October 12, 201113 yr Caught this Seneca County Courthouse update from the Handyman Blog in the Columbus Dispatch - which linked to the original story from the Toledo Blade. First, the recap from Alan Miller: State preservation officer pleads to save Seneca County Courthouse By Alan Miller, The Columbus Dispatch October 12, 2011 - 9:10 AM Debate is heating up again around the future of the Seneca County Courthouse. The back-and-forth over the past several years has been almost headache-inducing. But as a deadline for demolition bids approaches, the efforts to save the cut-stone edifice are increasing. First, the historic focal point at the center of downtown Tiffin, in northwestern Ohio, was going to be demolished. Then it was going to be saved and renovated. Then, after Gov. John Kasich came into office and cut state funding for the project, it was going to be demolished again. Now, The Blade newspaper of Toledo reports in a story today that Franco Ruffini, the deputy State Historic Preservation officer, has made a plea to Seneca County officials to save the building built in 1884. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/old-house-handyman/2011/10/seneca-county-courthouse-rescue-effort-revived.html The original article from the Toledo Blade: State preservation official pleads against demolition of courthouse Kasich representative also attends Seneca County meeting BY JENNIFER FEEHAN, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 10/12/2011 TIFFIN -- If Seneca County tears down its 1884 courthouse, it would be the first Ohio county since 1970 to demolish a historic courthouse and the first and only Ohio county to tear down a courthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "Seneca County has all the makings for a big success story if you choose to save that courthouse," Franco Ruffini, deputy State Historic Preservation officer, told county commissioners yesterday. "Does Seneca County want to become the first Ohio county in history to tear down a courthouse listed on the National Register? Who are we? Is that us? We can do better." Mr. Ruffini was among many state and local preservation advocates who pleaded with commissioners to move off the path to demolition and consider mothballing the downtown landmark until funding becomes available to renovate it and put it back into public use. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2011/10/12/State-preservation-official-pleads-against-demolition-of-courthouse.html
November 2, 201113 yr The demolition bids are due next week for the Seneca County Courthouse. Here are some updates from the Toledo Blade: 10/28/11 - 2 commissioners firm on razing courthouse 10/31/11 - Governor Kasich asks Seneca County commissioners to put off courthouse demolition 11/2/11 - Seneca Co. officials unmoved by appeals to spare courthouse
November 22, 201113 yr Well, it's not like we didn't see this coming. But here's the official demolition news about the Seneca County Courthouse in downtown Tiffin from the Toledo Blade. Initial article: Seneca County commissioners award bid to demolish courthouse Longer follow-up article: Officials vote to destroy piece of Ohio history
November 22, 201113 yr Pretty sad. Do they have any plans to build anything there after it is gone, or will is just be some parking lot?
November 30, 201113 yr Seneca County residents assail courthouse decision BY JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER TIFFIN -- Seneca County Commissioner Jeff Wagner was taken to task Tuesday by local residents who said they don't understand why he is in such a rush to tear down the 1884 courthouse. Lin Talbot-Koehl demanded an accounting from Mr. Wagner of how spending $373,000 on demolition would save the county money. Rayella Engle told Mr. Wagner he ought to "write an essay" on why the courthouse is not worthy of renovation. And Loretta Miller implored the board to give residents 90 days to see how money they could raise to save the building. She personally vowed to raise $100,000. Read more at: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/11/30/Seneca-County-residents-assail-courthouse-decision.html
December 13, 201113 yr It appears that there might be an answer to the question of what will become of the Tiffin's county courthouse site if the 1884 Seneca County Courthouse is demolished. The answer: A new county courthouse. At least five years from now. Maybe. :-( New Seneca Co. courthouse proposed Nutter: Plan would cost $5.4M less than renovation BY JENNIFER FEEHAN, BLADE STAFF WRITER Published: 12/9/2011 TIFFIN -- One of the two Seneca County commissioners who voted to demolish the historic 1884 courthouse unveiled a plan Thursday to build a new courthouse in its place within five years. Commissioner Ben Nutter proposed the board set aside half of the county's annual carryover into a "justice system improvement fund" each January beginning in 2012. He estimated that within five years the county would have more than $3 million in the fund -- enough to construct a 16,080-square-foot building for an estimated $2.89 million. "This plan doesn't require a loan," Mr. Nutter said. "It doesn't require donations, and it doesn't require any help from anybody outside Seneca County, and I'm referring to the state government because they have shown a propensity to A) not do what they say they were going to do, and B) cut any support that they were giving us at one point, and I no longer want to depend on them." "I want to depend on us," he said. A nearly $8 million plan to renovate the 1884 courthouse would have been financed with a $5 million, low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, $500,000 from the Ohio Department of Development, $500,000 from Seneca County Common Pleas Court, $350,000 from the county, and $1.65 million in privately raised donations and grants. Mr. Nutter had supported that plan until earlier this year when the state legislature slashed local government funds -- a longtime source of funding for county governments. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/12/09/New-Seneca-Co-courthouse-proposed.html
December 20, 201113 yr This might not be over yet... http://www.toledoblade.com/Courts/2011/12/20/Lawsuit-filed-to-halt-razing-of-courthouse.html Best of luck to this group of Seneca County residents!
December 22, 201113 yr http://m2.toledoblade.com/Courts/2011/12/22/Justices-won-t-halt-Seneca-County-courthouse-demolition.html Justices won't halt Seneca County courthouse demolition Taxpayers' motion denied in 6-1 ruling The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a request by a group of taxpayers for an emergency order to halt demolition of Seneca County's 1884 courthouse. In a 6-1 decision, the justices denied the group's motion for a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and emergency writ of mandamus. No reason for the denial was given, which is not unusual for rulings on motions and procedures. -- With a sad photo of the courthouse.
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