TROY — The old Miami County Courthouse is up for sale, and city leaders are not happy about it.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the past four years have been an ongoing battle to figure out what to do with the building.
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Troy Mayor Robin Oda told News Center 7 that no one really talked about the old courthouse and its history until it started to get torn down.
“This community has been through so much with this building, and this just kind of feels like a slap in the face to the people who donated money to save this building, and that was the promise. We will save this building and we will turn it into something for the city,” she said.
Oda said it’s not clear exactly how much money was donated, but its around a million dollars.
After a tornado in 2020 damaged the building, the owner at that time had a person who wanted to buy the property, but not the building, according to Oda.
“That owner came to the city with a demo, and he met demo requirements,” she said.
The city approved the demolition, but that’s when the lawsuit started.
In December 2023, the lawsuit was settled, and the property was sold to the Troy Historical Preservation Alliance (THPA).
News Center 7’s Taylor Robertson reached out to Ben Sutherly with the THPA, but he couldn’t talk on camera.
In part, Sutherly said THPA put a significant amount of work into the building.
Sutherly added that since January, the alliance has made several repairs, and new windows are scheduled to be installed in the fall.
“It’s been a long four-plus years that this has dragged out, and we’re nowhere, and we have a cut up building,” Oda said.
Mike Porter has owned Troy Family Bike Shop for nearly four decades.
The shop is just a block over from the old courthouse.
“I think it would make a nice disco,” Porter said.
As for the mayor, she said, “Hate to say it, I don’t care if it’s torn down.”
News Center 7’s Taylor Robertson asked Oda what happens to the people who donated money to revitalize the building.
Oda said she isn’t sure, but people have asked the city about a class action lawsuit.
News Center 7 reached out to the building’s current owner to ask why she is selling it, but we’re still waiting to hear back.
We will continue to follow this story.
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