FLORENCE — At least one Florence city councilman has an idea about what should be at the site of the former City Building on U.S. 42.

        “It'll probably be a neighborhood park, with some picnic shelters and maybe some walking trails,” Councilman Dale Stephens said Thursday.

        The city will spend $100,000 to tear down the 38-year-old building that sits just behind the Boone County Public Library.

        The Florence Government Center on Ewing Boulevard replaced it in 1998.

        Demolition of the old city building has been on the city's budget since April.

        Mayor Diane Whalen said the city hasn't decided what to do with the property because the fate of a proposed water park has not been determined.

        “Other than maintaining the property for parks and green space, we have not made any plans,” said Ms. Whalen, who was at the groundbreaking for the old building with her father, former Florence Mayor C.M. “Hop” Ewing.

        “It's surrounded on three sides by homes; it needs to be something less intrusive than police cars and snow plows.”

        Ms. Whalen said the city originally asked for $1.1 million for the five acres, then lowered the price to $975,000 before deciding this spring to keep the land and tear down the city building.

        The city will spend $14,000 to remove asbestos from the building and the other $86,000 to tear it down.
       

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