Premier Contractors workers resheet the roof of the old Central School building, located at 102 N. Miami Ave. The workers will also be removing a chimney and two dormers from the roof. The pictured bell tower will be saved. The asbestos has been removed from the building. The inside rooms will be gutted and the current plan is to turn them into apartments with a common room for its residents.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
The old Central School building located at 102 N. Miami Ave. is currently getting fixed up. Asbestos was removed and it’s getting a new roof. The inside will also be remodeled.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Concept photos of the renovations to the Central School building, located at 102 N. Miami Ave., which will be called Central School Lofts.
Photo from Tim Spencer | Trivium Development
Concept photos of the renovations to the Central School building, located at 102 N. Miami Ave., which will be called Central School Lofts.
Photo from Tim Spencer | Trivium Development
Concept photos of the renovations to the Central School building, located at 102 N. Miami Ave., which will be called Central School Lofts.
Photo from Tim Spencer | Trivium Development
By Charlotte Caldwell
[email protected]
SIDNEY — The former Central School building at 102 N. Miami Ave. is currently being renovated to be turned into Central School Lofts.
The building is now owned by Tim Spencer of Trivium Development in Columbus. He also owns the Piper Building and has acquired single-family lots north of town.
According to Spencer, the roof failed shortly after they bought it, and they had to spend $160,000 on asbestos remediation. They will not change the brick exterior at all.
There will be 13 to 14 loft-style apartments and if they decide on 14 units, it will require a zoning code variance. There are three floors and each unit will be 750 to 850 square feet. Other amenities will include a rooftop patio, and the school’s old gym will be used for resident storage, a common area with seating, and a meeting/event space. The estimated completion is in the spring/summer of 2025.
The following history of the lot and schools on it over time was documented by the Shelby County Historical Society:
“Located on Lots 105 & 106, this land was set aside by Charles Starrett to be used for a school. The first school on this property was the Buckeye School, which was replaced by the Union School in 1857. In 1883, due to over-crowding, the 11th grade was moved to the Piper building on the east side of the court square, and the 12h grade was moved to the second floor of the Monumental Building until three new elementary schools (First, Second, and Third Ward) were completed. In 1903, the top floor of the building was condemned, and the high school classes were moved from that floor until the new high school was ready to be used in 1913. The cupola was removed and the top floor was repaired, however in 1930 the school was razed and the current Central School was built. It was used as an elementary until 2012.”
It also used to be the bomb shelter, according to Spencer.
