Mayor Jack Everson says financial forecasts for the next two years contain too much uncertainty for the city to invest in the renovation plan
The City of Chillicothe is pulling-out of a proposed plan to renovate and occupy the Carlisle Building.
Mayor Jack Everson says he removed the city from the Carlisle Building lease agreement due to financial uncertainty in the two-year forecast issued by City Auditor Tom Spetnagle Junior.
Everson says he informed all major participants in the project on Thursday, as to his decision....
The mayor says Mike Chesler of the Chesler Group, who wants to buy the Carlisle Building to lead the development with Adena Health Systems and the City of Chillicothe, did not say they were giving up on the idea, even without the city's involvement to lease one of the floors of the historic building.
The Carlisle Building has sat idle since a 2003 arson fire.
Adena Health System President and CEO Mark Shuter issued the following statement in response to the City of Chillicothe’s announcement to suspend its participation in a plan to occupy space within the Carlisle Building.
"The Carlisle project was worth exploring for both Adena and the City of Chillicothe,” said Shuter. “The City’s financial considerations are understandable, and I respect Mayor Jack Everson and City Council for recognizing this is not the time for them to enter into such a project.”
As for Adena’s role and potential future involvement in a plan to revitalize the Carlisle Building, Shuter adds, “The possibility of helping to revitalize our downtown, while enhancing Adena’s services made this a project to pursue. We will remain open to ideas as they come and determine their feasibility based on our business model.”
Adena Health System had planned to lease approximately 15,500 square feet of space within the Carlisle Building for retail use and non-clinical offices, plus lodging accommodations for Graduate Medical Education physicians.
