GREENFIELD — The city plans to end its lease contract on the downtown Memorial Building, meaning the county will likely need to perform maintenance responsibilities for the facility itself.
Gregg Morelock, the attorney for the city, said Greenfield chose to end the agreement because it will no longer have a use for the space it has been leasing in the building to host parks activities. The city has a new agreement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hancock County, Morelock said.
The agreement could end as soon as Aug. 31, Morelock said.
The Greenfield Parks Department had its offices in the Memorial Building until 2002, when it moved to the Patricia Elmore Center in Riley Park. Many of the department’s activities for residents remained at the Memorial Building, parks director Ellen Kuker said, including sports like basketball, volleyball, and pickleball. The facility, built in 1924 as a community center and memorial for military veterans, has a gymnasium.
“Just because we moved the offices, we did not move the programs,” Kuker said.
The city does not pay the county money to use the building; instead, the parks department provides some maintenance services. Parks department employees mow and weed the property, shovel and salt the sidewalks when it snows, and clean the parts of the building used for parks activities, which include the gym and common area, downstairs restrooms and one office space.
A number of organizations also have offices in the building. Earlier this year, the county discussed installing an elevator in the structure. Access to its upper floors is accessible by chair lift for those who are unable to climb stairs.
The county will need to either find another tenant or do that maintenance for itself. The county commissioners will likely discuss the issue at their next meeting, on Tuesday, Aug. 3.
Kuker said the county has always been great to work with, but the parks department chose to have activities at the Boys & Girls Clubs instead because the club has two gyms they will be able to use for activities, in addition to better parking and accessibility.
“It gives us a lot more flexibility,” she said.