Councilman Paul Horn said he was worried about the risk to first responders who might have to enter the Manchester to extinguish fires or rescue someone inside the building.
He said both the Manchester and nearby Sonshine Building need to be condemned.
Tuttle said whether the buildings are condemned or not, the fire department will not refuse to enter the building if someone is in danger. “The longer we keep kicking this can down the road, the higher the chance of somebody getting hurt,” he said.
Tuttle cited issues with the Manchester such as littered rooms, separating brick work, basement black mold, evidence of “dozens and dozens” of fires and an occupancy of homeless and trespassing individuals that they “cannot keep out.” “There’s too many entry points,” he said.
Baughman said the building is “very unsafe to anybody around it or in it.”
Councilwoman Jennifer Carter said the building needs to come down now and money that might be spent on repairs could be used for other city projects.
“Tear them down,” she said. “It’s a waste ... be done with it.”
Councilman Paul Lolli wanted to know the cost of demolition of the Manchester and Sonshine Building, though he said he is not suggesting demolition be the decision.
He recommended the city take a few months to discuss the matter further and then hold a work session in August to make a final decision.
Mayor Elizabeth Slamka liked that idea, adding that the city is organizing committees to look at development possibilities.
Though the Sonshine Building structurally is not in “that bad of shape,” according to Tuttle, he said if the city decides to demolish the Manchester and has no viable use for the Sonshine Building, it would be “more cost effective” to demolish both at the same time.
Councilman Lolli said the cost to restore the Manchester, Sonshine Building and the surrounding area was estimated at nearly $18 million.
Vice Mayor Steve West was not present at the meeting.
Tuttle said it will take at least a month to gather cost estimates for repairs and/or demolition. “You can decide which way you want to go with it at that point,” he said.
Baughman and Tuttle also recommended immediate action, whether repair or demolition, of the First National Bank building, 2 N. Main St., and the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1402 First Ave., due to roof damage and deterioration.
Last month, the city installed a fence around the Manchester Inn because of falling roof tiles and the risk of roof collapse.
Earlier this year, city council members discussed a downtown “refresh” to develop a plan for renewed residential and businesses vibrance, including possible demolition of the historic Manchester Inn.
In October 2022, Middletown spent $112,000 for the clean-out of the Manchester Inn, 1027 Manchester Ave. and Sonshine Building, 101 N. Main St.
A demolition company removed furniture/bedding, trash, debris and any other loose items left behind and damaged by vandals with the goal of reducing reduce fire risk. Much of this trash has returned.
The five-story Manchester Inn, which closed in January 2011, is included on the National Register of Historic Places and has 119 rooms and is approximately 60,000 square feet. It was 102 years old in November 2024.
The future of the Manchester has been a contentious topic for years, with former owners and developers unable to follow through with plans for renovation. Most recently, Weyland Ventures of Louisville, Kentucky, terminated a pre-development plan with the city in September 2024.
Weyland’s assignment was to revitalize the six city-owned properties in and around downtown.
In January during a strategic work session, council members discussed development goals for 2025, and most were on board with Manchester Inn demolition.
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