Orrville council seeks bids to demolish former Manhattan Restaurant building

Shams Mustafa
·2 min read

Orrville City Council

Tuesday, Sept. 6 meeting

KEY ACTION Agreed to seek quotes from companies to demolish the historical Manhattan building at 142 Depot Street.

DISCUSSION After years of debate, the Orrville Historical Society decided to demolish the former restaurant.

Although many Orrville citizens still hold fond memories of the building, President Paul Vance said, it’s no longer safe for tours. The building, he said, has major structural issues both internally and externally. The cost of demolition will be funded through a grant from the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program.

Back in 2018, the initial estimate to restore the structure, which once housed the Orrville Historical Museum, was $800,000.

The building was constructed in 1872 by William Ludwig, whose name appears on the structure, which originally operated as a saloon on the lower floors with living quarters above, according to a 2018 Daily Record story.

The Orrville Historical Society has owned the Manhattan building since 1995 after it sat vacant for a period of time.

Other business from Tuesday's Orrville City Council meeting included a report on the Boys and Girls Club's Teen program

The Orrville Area Boys and Girls Club Teen and Community Engagement Director, Nicolina Nolletti, presented a report about the Teen program's progress. She noted that her focus is to engage teens and increase their participation in the activities.

Incentivization was one of the strategies she implemented to encourage the teens. Each month, two members are chosen as Member of the Month and receive $30 gift cards and a Blizzard ice cream treat.

Nolletti said she encourages feedback from both the teens and their parents/guardians to know what they like and or don’t like.

“We also had an open house and met with the teens and their parents/guardians,” she said. Another open house is planned in the following months.

The club has dedicated a special time for teens where they don’t have to share the building with the younger members. Nolletti gave an example of a Nerf war and a pizza night event held after the club’s operating hours.

The fall plan includes four main programs: A Power Hour where children do their homework while eating a snack; Triple Play, which includes sports; Healthy Habits, which focuses on eating healthy and nutrition; and Torch Club, which focuses on team building and problem-solving.

FOR YOUR INFO

  • The city's Fall Festival will be 5 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Heller Hall. There won’t be a car show this year, but there will be food, warm drinks, and plenty of activities for children.

  • The Orrville Area Chamber of Commerce selected Dan Franks as the new president and CEO of the organization. He will begin his role on Sep. 19, succeeding Lori Reinbolt who has served since 2013.

UP NEXT Meets at 7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 19.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Orrville's historic Manhattan Restaurant building to be torn down