MOUNT VERNON — Historical Review Commission members declined 10 months ago to approve demolishing three city-owned buildings north of City Hall.
On Thursday, they agreed demolition was appropriate for 10-20 N. Main St. and 6 E. Chestnut St. (parcels 66-05506.000, 66-03852.000, 66-03852.001).
In October 2025, commission members wanted a cost analysis to maintain or rebuild the facades on 10-16 and 18-20 N. Main St.
They also asked for clarity on why the buildings are not conducive to becoming a courthouse, and a cost-benefit analysis comparing the complete rehabilitation of the historic buildings with demolishing and rebuilding them.
At the time, the city planned to build an annex on the site to extend City Hall and a new justice center.
Since then, Mount Vernon purchased 236 S. Main St. as a municipal center and moved its administrative offices there.
Additionally, the North Main structures sustained damage in a March 13 windstorm, and the Board of Property Maintenance Appeals voted to condemn the buildings for demolition.
Once renovations are complete, the law director’s office will move into the municipal center. The city will then move municipal court staff into 40 Public Square.
Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers said that entails minor exterior modifications to the building. The lots north of 40 Public Square will become a parking and detainee transfer location for probation and jail transfer for trial.
“This interim redevelopment will be utilized for an indeterminate length of time. Preliminary designs for remodeling of 40 Public Square include provisions to allow for future expansion to the north,” Salyers said.
However, Salyers said the current administration has no plans to expand.
New lot frees up public parking
Municipal court staff will park in the new parking area, which will free up public parking. Currently court staff park on Public Square and Gay Street or in the parking garage.
Resident Alan Wagner said parking is probably a good option but suggested subdividing the lot for private and public parking. He also suggested installing public restrooms.
The lot will feature approximately 14 to 16 parking spaces. Staff will enter via Blackberry Alley on the east side.
“It’s definitely going to be limited because of the ingress, egress, and needing to restrict the access for court security,” Development Services Manager Lacie Blankenhorn said.
Salyers noted public restrooms will be accessible in the court building.
Once demolition is complete, street parking will return to North Main Street.
Salyers presented conceptual drawings of what the parking area could look like.
The concept is to use design elements similar to Gay Street’s brick pillars, retaining walls and lamp posts.
Designers can incorporate keystones salvaged from the Henry B. Curtis building in the pillars. A bench and plaque honoring the city’s Founding Fathers are other possibilities.
The city has received state permits for the demolition and will use state brownfield money to help cover the cost.
Brownfield funds are subject to State Historic Office Preservation review.
Administration officials will meet with the Knox County Historical Society, Ohio History Connection and the Historic Review Commission to create a Memorandum of Understanding for the demolition.
No timeline was discussed at Thursday’s meeting, but Interim City Engineer Quentin Platt told the Board of Property and Maintenance Appeals on Wednesday the process could take six months.
City works through alternative plans
Salyers said that after the October commission meeting, the city looked at salvaging the buildings.
However, Mount Vernon’s owner representative, Pizzuti Solutions, said the facade alone would drive the cost up millions more than the city wanted to explore.
Additionally, the buildings are not ADA-compliant, nor constructed for modern office purposes. They have obsolete plumbing and electrical systems as well as other safety issues.
Next, the city looked at redesigning 40 Public Square as a justice center to accommodate all court functions.
Architectural firm BKV recommended against that because of function and cost associated with security and other requirements that come with a court facility.
The city then explored constructing an auxiliary building to house court functions, probation, the clerk’s office and the law director’s office on one site.
“For cost and functionality, we chose against that as well,” Salyers said.
Mount Vernon officials ultimately decided to move the law director’s office into the municipal center and the court, probation and clerk’s office into 40 Public Square.
Salyers said the city purchased the North Main Street buildings for demolition because they are in bad shape.
“I think the best thing that we can do is do an homage to the people that built them and the time frame that they were in, and keep serving the community by turning this … entryway into something that makes people want to visit and continues to serve the community,” he said.
