Memorial Hall meeting Monday
Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 26, 2008
There will be a second Memorial Hall meeting on Monday night.
Ironton Mayor Rich Blankenship said the community forum is open to all.
“We are going to have these until a decision is made on what we are going to do,” he said. “I know the city council has stressed to me the importance of doing something and it has been brought up to do something by the end of the year.”
Memorial Hall was built in 1892 to be used as a hall for veterans or for other public use. It has been used as a library and then
was the city municipal building. The city moved out of the building in 1998.
It was condemned by the city last year and reports have the building having peeling lead paint, mold, and floors that are sagging and a roof that no longer connects to the walls at some points.
The first forum lead to several ideas including turning into a park or a bed and breakfast and an office. Some want to restore the building and others want to preserve parts of it.
Blankenship said the reason for the meetings is to gather public input on what to do with the structure “rather than just making a decision and going with it. It is important we include the community.”
The last meeting was on June 23, around 20 people were in attendance and the meeting was broadcast on Ohio University Southern’s TV channel several times.
“We are looking for suggestions but it is very important the community come together as a whole and agree on this,” Blankenship said. As for getting a consensus, it could be hard. “But it comes down to what is feasible. What can we do and what cannot be done?”
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the City Center lobby.