Winona Still Studying Options For Relocation Of Town Hall
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
WINONA LAKE - In its search for a new town hall, the Winona Lake Town Council has come full circle - back to one of the first buildings the council considered.
At Tuesday's council meeting, a majority of the council members present proposed renovating the town's Quonset hut, an option the council formerly considered.
The council voted Tuesday to reject a proposal from Grace Brethren Home Missions that the town buy a portion of Kingsway Suites for $395,000. Larry Chamberlain, representing GBHM, said the sale proposal was a special offer for the town, and involved 6,200 square feet of the building.
In August architect Jim McCleary told the council it would cost $350,000 to $400,000 to renovate the Quonset hut for use as a combination town hall and police station.
GBHM entered the scene in August with its original offer to lease the town part of its building. Preferring to buy property, the council continued to negotiate with GBHM until the rejection of the proposed deal Tuesday night.
After polling the council members (with councilman Randy Ruppel absent), council president Brent Wilcoxson said the council will start pursuing the Quonset hut, which belongs to the Winona Lake park department.
Complicating the council's consideration of the Quonset hut is the fact that the park board leased the Quonset hut to the Northern Lakes Skating Association to use as an ice skating rink from October to March. NLSA agreed to pay the park board $1,500 to lease the building for one season.
Chris Boyd, president of the park board, said Wednesday the board intends to honor the lease with the NLSA.
"We have a responsibility to that skating association and we will fulfill our responsibility," she said.
Boyd said the park board is not opposed to the Quonset hut being used by the town as the town hall - after the NLSA lease is over.
"It was a general feeling of this park board that we would certainly entertain that idea as long as (the agreement) was written to the protection of the park board," she said.
Brian Smith, spokesman for the NLSA, said Wednesday the organization was getting ready for the skating season and was prepared to pay the building lease, but was unaware the Quonset hut was again being considered as a possible town hall.
Boyd said the park board will cooperate with the council on their use of the building after the NLSA lease runs out, but emphasized that the park board intends to retain ownership of the Quonset hut if the town does eventually decide to use it as a town hall.
"It will remain park property and, for the protection of the park department, we will lease it to them," she said.
Boyd said no lease amount had yet been decided on by the park board. [[In-content Ad]]
WINONA LAKE - In its search for a new town hall, the Winona Lake Town Council has come full circle - back to one of the first buildings the council considered.
At Tuesday's council meeting, a majority of the council members present proposed renovating the town's Quonset hut, an option the council formerly considered.
The council voted Tuesday to reject a proposal from Grace Brethren Home Missions that the town buy a portion of Kingsway Suites for $395,000. Larry Chamberlain, representing GBHM, said the sale proposal was a special offer for the town, and involved 6,200 square feet of the building.
In August architect Jim McCleary told the council it would cost $350,000 to $400,000 to renovate the Quonset hut for use as a combination town hall and police station.
GBHM entered the scene in August with its original offer to lease the town part of its building. Preferring to buy property, the council continued to negotiate with GBHM until the rejection of the proposed deal Tuesday night.
After polling the council members (with councilman Randy Ruppel absent), council president Brent Wilcoxson said the council will start pursuing the Quonset hut, which belongs to the Winona Lake park department.
Complicating the council's consideration of the Quonset hut is the fact that the park board leased the Quonset hut to the Northern Lakes Skating Association to use as an ice skating rink from October to March. NLSA agreed to pay the park board $1,500 to lease the building for one season.
Chris Boyd, president of the park board, said Wednesday the board intends to honor the lease with the NLSA.
"We have a responsibility to that skating association and we will fulfill our responsibility," she said.
Boyd said the park board is not opposed to the Quonset hut being used by the town as the town hall - after the NLSA lease is over.
"It was a general feeling of this park board that we would certainly entertain that idea as long as (the agreement) was written to the protection of the park board," she said.
Brian Smith, spokesman for the NLSA, said Wednesday the organization was getting ready for the skating season and was prepared to pay the building lease, but was unaware the Quonset hut was again being considered as a possible town hall.
Boyd said the park board will cooperate with the council on their use of the building after the NLSA lease runs out, but emphasized that the park board intends to retain ownership of the Quonset hut if the town does eventually decide to use it as a town hall.
"It will remain park property and, for the protection of the park department, we will lease it to them," she said.
Boyd said no lease amount had yet been decided on by the park board. [[In-content Ad]]