WALBRIDGE, Ohio — The village of Walbridge is looking to buy and repurpose a former gym that has been vacant for a decade.
Village council members proposed various ideas at a meeting Wednesday for how to use the space at 417 N. Main St., such as turning it into a parking lot or a community center.
Some Walbridge residents are split on the idea of the village buying the building, though.
" I don't support the village purchasing this property because they don't have a solid plan of what they're going to do with it," said Walbridge resident Kristen Angelo. "The proposed plan right now is a parking lot, and I think our money could be better spent within the village."
Julie Hummel, another Walbridge resident, feels like the purchase could benefit the village if it's repurposed into the right thing.
"Make it something more for the kids to go to, any age groups to be able to go to, and be able to utilize it in whatever way possible," she said. "I think it would be good for the community to have something like that in town."
The village is considering spending $190,000 to buy the building, not including costs after the purchase the village would need to do to repurpose it.
"We hope to maybe include some parking to Railway Park and possibly in the future revamp the building," said village council member Thomas Urbina. "There are talks about a community center ... so, I'm optimistic and I think the rest of council agrees."
While Urbina is on board with the purchase, he said there are many more conversations and steps necessary.
He also said the village is considering taking out a loan for the purchase.
"Nothing's set in stone yet," Urbina said. "We have to have committee meetings and discussions to make sure we're making the best decision for the constituency."