Group Tries to Rally City Council, Mayor To Save The Old School

A larger-than-normal crowd filled the council chambers at city hall on Tuesday, Aug. 27, hoping to sway the minds of city council and mayor on the future of the Old School.

Michael Turle, a resident and founder of the Twinsburg Old School committee, spear-headed the effort to rally others at the meeting, hoping to stave off future demolition.

At-Large-Councilman Gary Sorace requested a motion to postpone a decision by the Architectural Review Board at the Sept. 5 meeting, but it was voted down 5-2, with Ward 2 Councilman Bob McDermott the second supporting vote.

"I do not think long term the city should invest six or eight million in that building when it can invest in downtown," At-Large-Councilman Bill Furey said.

Turle said after the meeting that he was disappointed but appreciated the council members who tried to hold off on demolition.

"What's the big hurry on bringing this thing down?" Turle said. "Let's look at some options."

The Old School was built in 1920 and was Twinsburg's only school until the late 1950s. It was closed as a school in 1992.

More recently, it was used by Kent State University, but the university moved out of the building last year when the new campus opened.

The Twinsburg Community Theatre has used the building, but the city hopes to move the theatre over to the old township hall on the other side of public square if the sale of that building goes through.

Twinsburg Patch will have a full report from last night's Old School discussion on Wednesday.