Demolition of Georgetowns first bank delayed

GEORGETOWN While town leaders discussed its future across the street, the building that housed Georgetowns first bank sat vacant and idle aside from some equipment stored inside the structure on Monday evening.

But preservationists and a majority of the Georgetown Town Council believe theres a future for the property, and they think the building is a key part of it. The council voted 4-1 to stave off the demolition of the structure for one year, as a committee charged with finding alternatives to razing the building will continue to meet in hopes of providing tangible options for the reuse of the property.

This building is not structurally unsound, said Greg Sekula, southern regional director of Indiana Landmarks and a member of the committee.

Located at 9110 Ind. 64, the building was constructed to house Georgetowns first bank in 1909. In recent years, it held the town hall until 2009, and has primarily been used for equipment storage since it was vacated.

There was concern among town officials that the building wasnt safe, and could potentially collapse or suffer structural damage.

But Sekula said a team that included engineer Nathan Grimes, developer Steve Resch and architect Ron Stiller inspected the building on March 6, and they vouched for the buildings stability.

Its not going to fall down, said Margaret Dean Hammersmith, a former Georgetown council member who was also appointed to the committee.

With a year to meet and research, the committee should be able to come up with some options to save the building for the council to consider, Sekula said.

There are matching grants available at the state level for historic building rehabilitations that the committee and town will explore, Council President Jerry Brock said.

Councilman Mike Mills cast the lone vote in opposition to delaying the demolition for 12 months, as he cited financial concerns with keeping the structure.

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Demolition of Georgetowns first bank delayed