TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– The sale of a historic building in Terre Haute will have to wait after a vote from the Vigo County School Board on Monday.
The Terre Haute Boys and Girls Club was looking to sell the Chauncey Rose building, located on 13th and Locust Streets. Vigo County Superintendent Chris Himsel said the organization requested the school corporation waive a provision that would split the revenue from the sale between the two entities, which he did not believe was the best move for VCSC.
“The issue is that the original agreement with the Boys and Girls Club has a provision in there that requires there be a sharing of proceeds that happens in a future sale,” he said. “We were requested a waiver to not adhere to the provisions in the original contract and to waive those things, our recommendation was to reject those, which the board agreed with.”
Himsel said a major factor in the decision was the amount of money that would need to go into needed renovations at the facility.
“The amount of money it’s going to take to maintain the building is great,” he said. “The reason why the Boys and Girls club is looking to vacate the facility and why they’ve relocated to the learning lab is because of the amount of money that is needed to renovate that particular space.”
After Monday’s vote, the purchase agreement has been void, and Himsel said the corporation will work to find a solution that can keep the historical integrity of the building.
“We will continue to work with the Boys and Girls club, we will continue to work with other entities as well, if that means seeking out city government or redevelopment commissions or whatever it is, we want to make sure we are creating a win-win for everybody in that community.”
There is no timeline for when a potential sale could happen.