Funding an issue in saving Bantam building; options being considered
Though the fate of the building where Butler’s claim to fame was born remains up in the air, a recent evaluation of the once-vibrant Bantam building found it would take “tens of millions” to refurbish it, according to Mark Gordon, the county’s chief of economic development and planning.
Although all involved agree it is a priceless gem in the county’s history, the engineer hired by CERTA, the Cincinnati company that now owns the large property, discovered the building is in such an advanced state of disrepair that saving the building would require further investigation into funding options, Gordon said.
Gordon said the building housed the offices, research and development department, and a small factory where Jeeps were first conceived and manufactured for use in World War II before the contract went to the Willys Overland Corp. for mass production.
While most all of the buildings on the 29-acre property at the end of Bantam Avenue that was once the Armco and AK Steel stainless processing works have been razed in anticipation for new buildings to be erected, CERTA officials understood and acknowledged the significance of the Bantam building to Butler’s history, Gordon said.
Gordon said CERTA officials are now trying to determine if funding options or historical tax credits would be available, or if an investor interested in the building would consider refurbishing it to suit his use.
Gordon said he would love to see the historic building saved, but it would be cost-prohibitive to simply renovate it.
Jack Cohen, president of the county Tourism and Convention Bureau, said he looked into saving the building several years ago when it was owned by Armco and then AK Steel.
“Sadly enough, it’s in such a bad situation now, it cannot be saved,” Cohen said. “We wanted to use it to show off the cars that were built there.”
Cohen said a hole in the roof was never repaired, which, along with general neglect, allowed most structures in the building to rot away.
“The staircase going up four floors is rotted, so you can’t even get up there to look at the condition,” Cohen said. “The elements have just eaten it up. It’s a shell now.”
Cohen did say he has ideas for the building that he cannot yet discuss.
“It’s a longshot,” Cohen said, “but you can’t give up on the history of our community. You just can’t.”
Todd Wagner, president of Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association, said he also realizes the building may not be salvageable.
“While we would love to see it restored and brought back to life because it is an important part of Butler's Jeep heritage, we understand the building has deteriorated to the point where it may not be feasible to restore it,” Wagner said.
Jennifer Ford, executive director at the county Historical Society, also is resigned to the distinct possibility of losing the Bantam building.
“In a perfect world, where infinite funds were available, of course we would dearly love to see it stabilized and repurposed,” Ford said. “We do not live in a perfect world.”
Ford said a number of people have called the Historical Society to demand that she begin working toward having the Bantam building placed on the National Register of Historic Places to protect it from the wrecking ball.
She explained that of the four criteria to place a building on the registry, only one preserves a building.
That criteria is “architecturally distinctive,” which the brick building is not, Ford said.
Barring a miracle, she expects the Bantam building to be razed.
“Like everyone else in town, we're quite sad about it, but financially speaking, there's nothing that can be done,” Ford said.
She said one member of the Historical Society is planning to approach CERTA owners, brothers Jake and Kris Bamberger, to ask if they would donate some, or all, of the bricks to various historical organizations after the building is demolished.
Ford said the bricks donated to the Historical Society would be sold and the funds used to restore and protect the four historic Bantam and Austin automobiles owned by the society.
“We would love to take them to events or display them,” Ford said. “The cars could be used to celebrate the heritage of that building.”
Gordon said CERTA officials have not made a firm decision on the Bantam building as of yet.
