SHELBY — The Shelby Community Improvement Corporation has been tasked to help the city sell its 1870s-era fire station.
That’s the plan Shelby Mayor Steve Schag announced Monday during City Council’s regular meeting. He said the CIC will “market” the firehouse building — established 152 years ago — and its property.
Part of the CIC’s focus is on economic vitality and downtown revitalization, while collaborating with the City of Shelby’s government entities.
“It’s been a formula that has been successful in selling properties in the past in ways that are advantageous to all parties involved,” Schag said.
“The city administration, in cooperation with this council, will do its best to see that the building and property is placed under qualified and responsible ownership.”
Schag said details of the transaction and appropriate legislation will be brought to council “in the near future.”
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Since moving its fire station to High School Avenue, the city has maintained ownership of the aging Main Street firehouse — mainly using the building as storage space.
Future use of the historic structure has been a topic of discussion among city officials for some time. Schag announced Oct. 7 that a plan would be forthcoming regarding Shelby relinquishing its ownership.
He previously said Richland Engineering Limited provided the city with a report of the building, including estimated costs of repairs, modifications and maintenance issues.
“There were several observations and … words of warning for someone who would seek to use this structure in the future,” Schag said Oct. 7.
The mayor, along with Shelby Project Coordinator Joe Gies and Shelby Fire Chief Mike Thompson, recently visited the old firehouse to observe the reported areas of concern.
Third Ward Councilman Eric Cutlip and 4th Ward Councilman Nathan Martin voiced support in October in favor of ending the city’s municipal use of the building.
“We’re going to get to a point where it’s going to have no value not only to us, but to anybody who could possibly come in with private funds or state grants to be able to do anything about it,” Martin said Oct. 7.
“I’m glad we have a sense of urgency to do this. It’s not a matter that we don’t like the fire station or we want to get rid of the fire station.”
In other action Monday, City Council:
— passed an ordinance enacting Section 1296.18 (minimum lot width requirement) of the city’s codified ordinances.
— amended language within the city’s subdivision regulations in order to make the regulations, as a whole, more pertinent to the subdivision of today.
— amended the city’s annual appropriations in order to increase expenditures.
— approved transferring appropriations for the year 2024 so as to balance the books for the calendar year 2024 and fund necessary expenditures and/or projects.
— authorized the mayor to apply for funding from the National Environmental Health Association for participating in the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.