Community members to take new look at Old Town Hall

At the November 13 town council meeting, Odessa’s town council gave unanimous approval for the formation of a committee to determine the future of Old Town Hall. The group will be headed by Lise Ott, who hopes that community interest in the project will be significant and ongoing.

The initial phase of the project will be exploratory, and will include field trips to other historic sites around the area which have either been renovated, restored or repurposed successfully, or are in the midst of the process. Examples include the Harrington Opera House, the Hartline School, and the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown. In addition to visiting the sites, the committee will hopefully be able to meet with other groups engaged in historic preservation.

This committee would use the information gathered during this phase to recommend a plan for the future use of the building. Ott plans to present a proposal to the council within 6 months.

Ott is hoping to recruit at least one member each from the Town Council, Chamber of Commerce, Masonic Lodge, Lions Club, Odessa Historical Society, as well as any other groups who currently use the building or would like to. Any interested person is welcome to attend meetings and provide input.

An initial informational meeting will be held at Old Town Hall on Thursday, January 10 at 7 p.m. If you are interested in participating in the project but cannot attend the initial meeting, please contact Lise Ott at 988-0085, 982-2123 or lisemott@yahoo.com.