Elliott Hotel will come down

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After a long wait, a Greenfield landmark that for years sat vacant and untouched and saw recent efforts at rehabilitation fail, will finally come down.

The demolition process on the Elliott Hotel is scheduled to begin within the week, Greenfield City Manager Todd Wilkin reported to the council at its regular meeting Monday.

The process will start with the structural shoring up of the building to the north to ensure its integrity. Following that, the demolition of the Elliott will begin.

The ability to move forward with the demolition comes after a cost-sharing agreement was approved last month by Greenfield council between the Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) and the village.

The Elliott Hotel opened more than 130 years ago. Walking through the building when it was in the hands of the previous owner who envisioned its rebirth, it was easy to see its former elegance. The efforts of recent years to not only save the building, but re-imagine it into something once again beautiful, were not enough.

About a year and a half ago, the structure’s chimney collapsed into a side wall making that part of the structure unstable. A partial demolition followed to make the area more safe. Since then the building has sat fenced off and in ruin.

During the upcoming demolition, bricks free of things like plaster will be kept separated during the demolition and stacked on a skid. The plan is to put them up for sale to the public once the project is complete. The basement area of the hotel will be filled in and the whole area seeded and covered in straw preparing for that corner of Washington and Mirabeau streets to be a green space for now.

In other meeting news, award announcements were made at the meeting includeding citizen of the month and employee of the month.

The citizen of the month is former Greenfield City Manager and Highland County Court Administrator Ron Coffey, who Wilkin called “a valuable asset to our community.” Coffey devotes much of his time to many projects in and around Greenfield.

The employee of the month is Sherry Parker, the office manager for the village. She has been with the village for more than two years and her work in the office is vital to the public and village employees.

In other business, residents can expect a different look to their water and sewer bill in the next billing cycle. The postcard bills that have been used for years are being changed to a letter invoice that will come to each home with a return envelope. This change has been years in the making and has taken so long, Wilkin said, because of having to work with several third-party entities.

The city manager’s report highlighted several meetings that have been attended over the last month.

They included possible grant funding through the Ohio Public Works Commission for infrastructure improvements on a portion of Fourth Street. The plan is to improve infrastructure on more of Fourth Street in phases as the grant opportunities arise. That area of town has inflow and infiltration issues, but improvements on Mill , Fifth and Fayette streets are remedying those problems in that area.

Wilkin highlighted an Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission caucus where available grants and application timelines were discussed. Also stemming from this is the village putting together a large Economic Development Administration grant application that would take care of inflow and infiltration issues on Jefferson Street, add an additional water tower at the industrial park, and add a new well, which is capable of producing more water than several of the village’s older wells — all which would increase capacity and enable growth.

The city manager said the village has been approved for a grant that will allow for an additional tornado siren to be placed on the south side of town, which will expand the coverage area for warning residents.

Other meetings highlighted were the Workforce Leadership Council and the Highland County Business Advisory Council where the workforce development program, ACCESS, was recognized with a ribbon cutting and celebration. Additionally, three local students were celebrated who have been placed in jobs through the program.

On another matter, Wilkin said the village has received many calls about the village’s water and air quality. These questions have followed the well-publicized train derailment in East Palestine earlier this month that released hazardous materials into the environment. A video by Wilkin addressing these concerns can be found on the village’s Facebook page.

JP West of Horizon spoke to council regarding the company’s placement of fiber optic lines in the village. It’s a project that was first announced more than a year ago and has recently begun. It is of no cost to the village. This project will help ensure reliable internet for residents and businesses.

Upcoming events:

* March 2 – Mitchell Park Youth Sports League (MPYSL) summer league sign-ups end March 2. Go to the organization’s Facebook page for sign-up information.

* March 4 – Grow Greater Greenfield’s Souper Bowl at the First Baptist Church, 250 Lafayette St. Several local organizations are making soups for the event. The cost is $20 per person and includes soups, drinks and dessert, entertainment, and a hand-thrown pottery bowl. Go to Grow Greater Greenfield’s Facebook page for more information.

Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the village of Greenfield.

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