For nearly two decades, the Armory has sat idle on the north end of Court Street, but Athens Mayor Steve Patterson suggested that might change during his administration.
On Wednesday night, the city of Athens presented its plans for the building's renovation, which aims to make the Armory a part of the community again. About 30 citizens and government officials attended the event.
Leslie Schaller, director of Programs and Business Development for the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, said that the aim of the project was to create a public event space and to promote cooperation between the city and local businesses.
“Just think about all of the stuff that happens here, especially in uptown Athens,” Schaller said.
She said the Armory, which has over 15,000 square feet of interior space, provides a considerable amount of opportunities for events and activities.
“I feel that we are in a good position as a city, as a community and as a region to redevelop this space,” she said.
Many of the event's attendees, despite supporting the renovation of the Armory, did not want to see any major changes in the structure, which is about 100 years old.
Mary Anne Reeves, chair of the Athens Historical Preservation Commission, said she hoped the building would stay the same.
“Keep it as is, if possible," she said. "It’s a historic building. It’s on the National Register for Historic Places. I’d like to see it stay that way. It’s the anchor of Court Street."
Despite the building’s historical significance, it has fallen into disuse in recent years.
The building, which was originally built in 1917, is often considered a historic landmark. It was originally used as base of operations for the Ohio National Guard in Athens.
The city bought the building in 1997. Since then, it has only been used for storage.
Patterson, who is one of the major proponents of the project, said the building is of great significance to Athens, and one of his major goals as mayor was to put the building back into use.
“It has been in the forefront of my mind since I became mayor,” he said.
The city has already taken some steps toward restoring the building. About two weeks ago, the city cleared the building of asbestos and is making plans to rid it of any lead paint. So far, those improvements have costed less than $5,000 dollars, Patterson said.
“The price paled in comparison to what the belief on the street was,” he said.
Patterson also said the city of Athens worked with the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the building was safe before renovation. He said he was confident in the city's ability to take on the project.
“It was time to do something with it. We’re moving forward,” he said.
