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BY ALLISON FASHEK
afashek@nwitimes.com
219.662.5333 | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 | (No comments posted.)
CROWN POINT | A month after the Sheriff's House Foundation announced plans to assess what structural work the house and adjoining jail need, the city wants to lend a hand.
Mayor Dan Klein and Economic Development Director Frank Mosko said Monday the city, through the Redevelopment Commission, will pay for a study of the South Main Street site's structural conditions and marketing feasibility.
The idea, Klein said, is to hire a structural engineer to determine the building's overall structural integrity and research potential future uses, such as retail, office, commercial or residential. Foundation board members and city officials will review qualifications and recommend a consultant.
The Redevelopment Commission will discuss the proposal at its Jan. 16 meeting and the foundation board is planning to meet about the plan.
While the Old Sheriff's House and jail are not in a tax increment financing district, Mosko said TIF revenue can be used for the study because of its proximity to the district and impact on its economic viability. The study, he estimated, will cost about $15,000.
When asked whether special consideration will be given to the jail cell famed outlaw John Dillinger escaped from, foundation board member Dan Rohaley said he didn't think it was a "hot button" issue anymore.
"We've all matured over the years," he said. "We're not glorifying a criminal."
According to Klein, the Sheriff's House Foundation isn't sure which cell Dillinger stayed in.
Klein also said the decision to get involved in the restoration of the building was spurred on by discussion of a local developer's proposal to build condos next door. But he stressed that the two projects are separate.
Klein has been meeting with foundation members for nearly two years. He hopes the collaboration will strengthen the square.
Though the Sheriff's House Foundation has been rehabilitating the building for the more than a decade, Rohaley said the city's support is unprecedented. The foundation has spent more than $350,000 in private donations on the Old Sheriff's House.
The feasibility study will seek community input on the building's potential uses.
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