Tuesday, February 02, 1999
Middletown mall options explored
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — More than 20 years ago, Joe Lanford came to this city to tour its new, enclosed mall. Then the city manager of Rock Hill, S.C., went home and recommended his community follow Middletown's example.
Today, he'll be back in Middletown to explain why 14 years later he recommended razing the roof on Rock Hill's mall, and to try to help city commissioners decide whether they should now follow Rock Hill's example with City Centre Mall.
“I'm probably the only person in the world that recommended to a city that they close off Main Street and make a mall, then years later recommended that they take the roof off it and open it all up,” Mr. Lanford said.
He has a consulting company in Rock Hill, where he was city manager from 1976 to 1993.
“I think it was the right decision to put up the mall in the 1970s, and the right decision to tear it down in the 1990s,” Mr. Lanford said.
Mr. Lanford said the Rock Hill mall saved many old buildings that might have been destroyed.
Age took toll
“But it began having the same problems Middletown is facing — it got old,” requiring major maintenance work.
The city bought all the buildings facing the enclosed street, razed the roof, reopened the street, then sold the historical buildings to developers who have opened businesses, including banks and offices.
“It's worked very well,” with several old buildings being rehabilitated, Mr. Lanford said.
He had no figures available on the cost to build or tear down the mall.
During a commissioners' workshop meeting at 5 p.m. today in commission chambers, officials are to hear again from Jonathan Sandvick, a Cleveland architect who drew up a variety of options to help decide the mall's future. The regular commission meeting follows at 6:30 p.m.
Commissioners, who have said they want to get out of the mall business at the best possible price, have about two weeks left on a 90-day public comment period to help with the decision on the mall.
Option D in lead
Of the plans presented, the apparent favorite is one of several from Mr. Sandvick, called Option D. It includes tearing off most of the roof, restoring the building facades, reopening Central Avenue and adding a farmer's market, costing $17 million.
A similar plan from entrepreneur Perry Thatcher includes taking the roof off of half the mall, enclosing the fountain and reopening Central Avenue. Rough estimates indicate that plan, Option F, could be done for about $9 million.
Option F cost figures are based on “a quick analysis,” but it would be “very misleading to try to compare them to Option D costs,” because “it”s not comparing apples to apples costs,” Mr. Sandvick said.
Assistant City Manager Susan Davis said officials want Mr. Sandvick to explain the different methods used in pricing the two proposals. It's likely his estimates were intentionally high “as a worst-case scenario.” He also might address a new idea that came up last week, she said.
That idea by Realtor James Beatty calls for the city to get appraisals on the privately owned mall buildings, then make the owners a take-it-or-leave-it offer. Then the city could tear down the dilapidated ones, and market the others to developers.
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