Press Release, March 30, 2023
Old Town Hall Ordered Closed by Fire Department
North Ridgeville, OH – Today, the North Ridgeville Fire Chief issued an Order of Closure for Old Town Hall located at 36119 Center Ridge Road. Effective immediately, the building is closed and no access will be granted to members of the public.
“Our priority is the safety of the residents and visitors to our community. This decision is one that we did not reach lightly,” said Mayor Kevin Corcoran.
In response to the Fire Department’s growing concerns about the safety of the building, the City engaged an independent third party, John Patrick Picard Architect, to conduct a thorough investigation of the building. “Unfortunately, our concerns were confirmed by the report,” said Corcoran.
According to the report, “The primary safety concern at this time is the failing electrical system that is currently endangering the occupants and the structure. Secondly, but no less important, the substandard emergency means of egress out of this building, that in the case of an emergency, puts its occupants in harm’s way.” The report contains the recommendation that the building be taken out of service until those issues are resolved.
Old Town Hall was built in 1883 and used for the conduct of government activities as well as community events. In 1975 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Most recently, it has been home to several community organizations.
“Olde Towne Hall Theatre has been using the building for decades, along with the North Ridgeville Historical Society,” said Corcoran. “We are certainly concerned about the preservation of our history, which includes the building and its contents. More so, we are concerned about the people – the members of those groups and their visitors that use that building.”
The safety issues noted in the report are extensive and will not be easily or quickly resolved. Any scheduled use of the building is cancelled until further notice.
“We’ll do our best to figure out how we can make the building safe to use again in the future. Unfortunately, this will not happen in a short time,” said Corcoran.