Future of Troy historic building still in limbo after city council meeting Monday

TROY — No decision was made Monday night on the future of the historic building in Troy.

The city council went into executive session at the beginning of Monday’s meeting. When it came back, the future of the property was still in limbo.

As fences surround the outside of the Main Street building, inside Troy’s city council chambers the community and city leaders talked about what was going to happen next.

“A building this old can wind up to be a black hole for money and it’s going to be city money,” Steve Hendrickson of Troy said.

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A resolution the city council is considering states the owner of the property has offered to donate it to the city.

Several members of the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance went to the meeting.

The group’s president said the alliance is willing to cover more than $53,000 in permanent repairs to the building if the city accepts the donation and as long as it agrees not to tear the building down for at least two years.

“We would like to be a part of a collaborative solution that will bring this building back into active reuse in the community,” Ben Sutherly, the alliance’s president said.

In March, News Center 7 reported the building’s owner started demolishing it allegedly without the city’s authorization.

>> Repairs ordered, demolition remains halted at historic Troy building

Since then, the future of the building has played out in the courts.

During Monday’s meeting, one of the city council members proposed postponing the resolution indefinitely but instead, the council did not take any action.

Afterward, the city’s public service and safety director said the resolution will come up for a third reading at the next board reading.

He said if the city does eventually accept the donation, it wants to redevelop the property.

“We would be reaching out to private developers, as well as community groups, such as Troy Community Works. .. It takes a lot of resources to rehabilitate that building,” Patrick Titterington, director of public service and safety for the city said.

News Center 7 reached out to a spokesperson for the owner.

He said there have been conversations with the city about the building but they are not able to comment on those conversations.

The next city council meeting will take place in two weeks.

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