SUMMITVILLE – The Summitville Community Center no longer is open for public use or rent to outside groups.
The Summitville Town Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to permanently close the building, 102 E. Walnut St., after it was determined that costs to remediate for mold would be too prohibitive. The building was tested after city officials found mold in the Town Hall and decided it would make sense to test all town-owned buildings.
The council also voted unanimously to have the building razed but is trying to save the fireplace and the plaque showing it was built for the town’s Lions Club in 1949. Ownership of the building was turned over to the town in the early 2000s.
“We keep talking about it, and talking about it and talking about it, and now it’s time to pull the trigger and get it done,” said council member DeAnna Stitt.
Council members said mold was found in the kitchen, carpet and roof of the building. They said they could not justify the $5,700 cost of remediation, especially since there are plans for a new community building, town hall and police department.
“As soon as we fix that, it will come back because it’s below grade,” Stitt said.
“Just to get the mold out, we’d have to rip all the wood out,” said Summitville Police Officer Tom Everett. “The ceiling would all have to come down because it’s covered.”
In anticipation of some residents expressing interest in the contents of the building, the council has said the building will be locked until it is razed, and the contents will be disposed of at that time. They said they could not take the risks associated with the transfer of the mold.
Some council members expressed concern about the fate of the fireplace, the plaque and some newly installed electrical equipment. Council President Bart Matney said though some members appeared to envision the brick fireplace be used in an out-of-doors setting, he was concerned about vanadalism.
“I would hate to lose that plaque,” he said.
Matney said he also would like wherever the plaque is installed to have a short explanation of how the community center came to be donated to the town.
The new community building is expected to be in the area of the park, but the specific location has not been determined.
New town hall
Though mold levels at the Summitville Town Hall were not high enough for the building to be closed and razed, plans nevertheless are underway for a new building.
“I think you’ve got to make it to where it will be there in 50 years, something you can be proud of when the next generation takes it over,” Summitville Town Marshal Shawn McGuire said.
The Town Hall is only partially used because of structural issues toward the front. Town Council members said it would cost nearly $8,000 to remediate the building for mold and maybe more to prepare it for sale.
