Hide Article Text (OCR)
Fate of old Aiken County Council building uncertain lY DANBROWN dbrown@athenst~+ oncard com The City of Aiken's Design Review Board discussed the possible demolition of the old Aiken County Council building dung work session Tuesday .The County Council building, located at 736 Richland Ave WF, ‘was included with the old hospi tal athe County's Requestor Proposal on Der, 7 Mead Hall Episcopal School, located at 619 Barnwell Ave N9W,considering purchasing the County Council building pproperty From Aiken County. ‘The County Council build ing is located within the City’s historic district, Demolition ‘would require approval from the Design Review Board. The historic dlrit line runs down the middle of Margen Street adjacent to Mead Hall property and includes the old County Council building, according to McDonald Law. Mead Hall plans to sub wert a bid to Aiken County to purchase the sites add to its Barnwell Avenue campus .Albert Kennedy, Mead Hal Board vice-chairman, ap peared before the Design Re new Board along with fellow board members Kitty Garon and Taea Wyatt to discuss the probability of demolishing the former County Gour build ing should the school purchase the property from the county “We don't think the old County Council building is touuch of an asset to the prop erty, and we'like to demolish it should we decide to purchase the property.” Kennedy said, Mead Hall shore-term plan is to scoovert the parceliem in greenspace Longterm, according to Ke nnedy, the school would lake to aail the property to possibly fuilh a regulation size soccer field with a track, or eventually tild a new gymnasium “The current gymnasium is n no longer functional as a bas ketball Facility” Kennedy said “The building is not contrib uting to the historic district in my opinion,” Law said Boards member Ben Lott agreed The green space would be a much more corrributing factor to the histori distiet than the Coun ty Council building.” Let sae, Board member Lucy Knowles disagreed, saying the County Council building is an example of 1950s and is architecture, mid-century modern While the building does not smesh with what would be consid ered hisoric in Aiken, iis a building cof historic significance” she sid, ‘Mead Hall is in no rush to build anything on or near the property, according to Ken nedy, but with the County's Request for Proposal, would purchase the property soon “We w could like torchase the property sometime this year but it would be several years before we could break ground to get nything done,” Kennedy said he would have to raise funds before we considered building anything on the property .The deadline for the County's Request for Proposal is Feb. 15 The item was for informal discussion only and no deci sion by the board was made Ln regard the property. During its regular meeting, the Design Review Board elected is officers for 2017. Current chair man MicDonaldsaw will serve as board chairman, Lacy Knowles will sere as vice-chairman and Planning Director Ryan Band as appointed as acting secretary.
Newspaper Details
Aiken Standard
Aiken, South Carolina, US
Wed, Jan 04, 2017
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Linda J.
USA 16 Aug 2026
Other Publications Near Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken Standard
Aiken Standard and Review
Aiken Journal and Review
Aiken County Rambler
Aiken Journal
