January 8, 2003

Antioch transfers ownership of Grinnell Mill to Township

More than a month of negotiations came to fruition this week when Antioch University agreed to transfer ownership of Grinnell Mill to the Miami Township trustees, saving the 180-year-old structure, which had been declared a fire hazard last summer.

The trustees officially took action on the proposal at their meeting Monday, when they unanimously approved a resolution stating that given the mill’s historical significance and its potentially hazardous condition, the trustees wished to assume ownership of the mill and lease from Antioch the four acres of land it occupies for a period of not less than 90 years.

Antioch finalized the deal a day later, when the university’s Vice Chancellor Glenn Watts, with authority from the Executive Committee of the university’s Board of Trustees, signed a sale and lease agreement.

The lease specifies that no money is to be exchanged for either purchase or rent. It also outlines the trustees’ plan to secure the building and form a nonprofit corporation, consisting of a Miami Township trustee, the Glen Helen Ecology Institute director and the president of the Yellow Springs Historical Society, who will direct further renovation and use of the mill.

During the meeting, trustee Chris Mucher recognized the university for its willingness to partner with the trustees “to ensure the mill will be enjoyed by future generations.” The trustees also honored local resident Jim Hammond, who initiated the effort to preserve the mill two years ago, by presenting him with a ceremonial pen.

“Your determination, Jim, has done more for the preservation of the mill than anyone else, past, present and future,” Mucher said.

Transferring ownership of the mill was Hammond’s idea, and he also oversaw the terms of the agreement between the trustees and Antioch, Mucher added.

Watts expressed appreciation to the Antioch Board of Trustees and to Hammond for his work and attention to the issue.

“We spent a lot of time and money to get to this point, so that we could give it away, but we’re pretty pleased about it,” Watts said after the meeting. “All of our interests are in preserving the mill as an historic building.”

Though there appeared to be a common interest between the university and several citizens, who over the past five years made proposals to Antioch to purchase and restore the mill, no agreements were reached before Monday. Hammond came the closest to finalizing a deal last spring, but he withdrew last August after more than a year of negotiations because of what he felt were inconsistencies on Antioch’s part.

Last June Miami Township Fire-Rescue declared Grinnell Mill a fire and safety hazard and ordered Antioch to come up with a plan to restore it, or the structure would be razed. In the fall a group of about 20 community members became involved in future plans for the mill, causing Antioch to miss several fire department deadlines before finally agreeing to transfer the mill to the trustees.

Both Mucher and Watts said that the agreement between the university and the trustees differs from past proposals because it is between two not-for-profit entities with the public’s interest at heart. The Township’s intent is more congruent with Antioch’s educational philosophy than the potential economic interests of a private individual, Watts said.

Hammond agreed that Antioch was uncomfortable that a resident could have made money off of the mill, although he said that he anticipated losing money with his initial proposal. Because the Township is such a nonprofit organization, no one person will profit from it, Hammond said, and at the same time, the community can benefit from the mill.

The trustees discussed and finalized the terms of purchase and lease in several executive sessions during the months of November and December.

Their six-month work plan to secure the mill includes foundation and frame work, water proofing, replacing siding and windows and installing security lighting. It also satisfies the fire department. Hammond said that he has offered to fund the initial $25,000 estimated to secure the building. At Monday’s meeting, the trustees also committed $32,000 from last year’s estate sale taxes toward further rehabilitation costs.

But the mill still remains a community issue. The corporation, once it is formed, will coordinate public fundraising and bring residents together to decide on an educational use for the building, Mucher said. If no one shows an interest in helping to turn the mill into a public resource, it will remain in the South Glen, dark and boarded, but untouched.

“The good thing is we get a chance to save the mill, that no matter what happens, the building is going to be there,” Hammond said on Tuesday. “Whether we’re successful in the future will depend on how we want to use it and whether the building can pay for its own maintenance.”

If Hammond has anything to do with it, the mill stands a good chance of succeeding. He intended to put a new front door on the mill on Tuesday evening. And Mucher said that he expects Hammond will continue to be closely involved throughout the project and as long as he wishes.

—Lauren Heaton