Wednesday, February 16, 2000
Butler chips in $3M to revamp mall
Middletown aims to remove roof
BY CINDI ANDREWS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — The city got a $3 million vote of support Tuesday from Butler County commissioners as they agreed to help pay to dismantle City Centre Mall.
“Whatever direction Middletown goes, it's clear the roof removal will pave the way for good things in downtown Middletown,” said County Commissioner Chuck Furmon, calling the mall an “albatross.”
The three county commissioners also told Middletown at its City Commission meeting Tuesday night that they were encouraging the state to kick in some money for the failed downtown mall, which will cost about $12 million to redevelop.
The county sees the project as important to the economic development of the city, said County Commissioner Courtney Combs.
“Honestly, it was Middletown's turn,” Mr. Combs said. The southern part of thecounty received a boost recently with the development of Union Centre Boulevard, he said, and Hamilton just got its connector road to Interstate 75.
City Commission members were delighted to receive the support.
“We really appreciate their effort to make both ends of the county productive,” said Commission Vice Chairman Jerry Banks.
Said Commissioner David Schiavone: “It shows the regional cooperation that we have.”
The county pledged up to $3 million to Middletown, which will come from the county's capital budget over the next two years.
The money is to be used to take the roof off of City Centre Mall and redevelop the downtown area. But the county doesn't intend to be involved in the specifics of the project.
“We don't want to have any hands-on input in what Middletown is doing; that's their decision,” Mr. Combs said.
The City Commission made progress on other fronts on the mall project Tuesday:
• Final plans for the first phase of the project were approved. The plans include removing the mall roof, reopening Central Avenue and Broad Street to traffic, and razing some buildings.
›The contracts of architects Scheer & Scheer and engineering firm Burgess & Niple, who developed the first phase of the project, were extended for the second phase.
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