By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The demolition of the old Schines Theatre hit a major snag recently.
Mayor Jeff Reser was questioned during Tuesday’s Bucyrus City Council meeting on the status of the theater. He said they are working on getting the paperwork finished but cautioned that additional funds are now needed to tear it down.
Reser said the theater was “priority one for the administration by the end of the week to have the funds secured to move forward.”
The amount needed, whether it comes from in-kind grants or donations, is not an insignificant one. Reser wasn’t sure on the exact amount needed but estimated the price tag might come in between $50,000 and $80,000. He added that the final amount will come soon from the state.
The city had secured state funding while the late Roger Moore was in office. The money includes $357,500 from the 2015-2016 capital budget and $242,500 from an allocation of state funds designated for the arts. Once demolishes, the site of the old theater will be turned into the Schines Art Park.
It was announced that two more homes are expected to be demolished this month. Last week the three-story building on West Mansfield Street was demolished after the city condemned the building in April. A nearby home at the corner of West Mansfield and Spring streets is scheduled to be demolished before the end of the month while a property on Warren Street is expected to come down this week.
Council approved two pieces of legislation during its meeting. Ordinance 21-2015 appropriated $1,050 for playscape maintenance and $15,000 for fire truck maintenance. Resolution 215-2015 accepted the recommendations from the Tax Incentive Review Council.
A joint regular committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday.