Franklinton Commission Votes 8-1 Against Demolition of Former Holy Family School
The advisory recommendation opposes the Catholic Diocese of Columbus's demolition permit ahead of a Nov. 20 municipal deadline.
The Franklinton Area Commission voted 8-1 on Tuesday evening, Oct. 13, to recommend against demolishing the former Holy Family School, opposing a demolition permit application filed by the Catholic Diocese of Columbus for the historic Franklinton property.
The vacant former Holy Family School building at 57 S. Grubb St. in Franklinton stands boarded up with overgrown foliage.
Credit: Brent Warren / Columbus Underground Image source
The century-old building at 57 S. Grubb St. has stood vacant behind boarded windows and overgrown vegetation, but the commission's vote sets up a civic debate over whether the landmark can be repurposed rather than razed.
Safety Concerns and Financial Burdens
Demolition contractor S.G. Loewendick & Sons filed the commercial demolition application on Sept. 21 on behalf of the diocese. Representatives for the Catholic Diocese of Columbus told commissioners on Tuesday that the structure has become an untenable safety hazard, citing repeated break-ins, interior fires and drug needles discovered inside.
Diocese representatives also stated that Holy Family parish lacks the financial resources required to maintain or repair the building, noting that rehabilitating the property for educational use could cost more than $20 million. Addressing the commission, a diocese representative cautioned that without substantial capital in hand, preservation discussions remain impractical: “If you're not coming with $20 million plus to fix it up, then you're wasting our time,” the representative said. The diocese has not yet decided what it would build on the site if the school is razed.
Community Advocates Push for Adaptive Reuse
Preservation advocates and community members urged commissioners to reject demolition, arguing that the Romanesque Revival structure should be saved to serve vulnerable Franklinton residents. Tonia Vargas, executive director of the Columbus nonprofit Just Believe Personal Enrichment Corp., presented a proposal to acquire and restore the property into a centralized resource center providing housing assistance, workforce training, educational programs and a soup kitchen. Vargas said centralizing services in one facility would streamline help for people experiencing homelessness.
Community advocates estimated that adaptive-reuse renovations could cost between $5 million and $12 million, though that figure has not been independently verified. Ronald Coleman, the great-nephew of longtime Holy Family pastor Monsignor Francis X. Schweitzer, also spoke in favor of preserving the school, stating that repurposing the site would honor the neighborhood's history by providing direct aid to people in need.
City Review and the Nov. 20 Deadline
The school was built in 1913 in a Romanesque Revival style and sheltered Franklinton residents during the Great Flood that same year, even after floodwaters inundated its basement. Columbus Landmarks placed the building on its Most Endangered Sites list in 2020.
The commission’s vote serves only as an advisory recommendation. Under municipal code, the applicant can request immediate commission consent or wait out a mandatory 60-day review period that began Sept. 21. That window expires on Nov. 20, at which point the Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services holds authority to issue a final administrative decision on the demolition permit.
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How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Supporting evidence (10)
The Franklinton Area Commission voted 8-1 on Tuesday evening, Oct. 13, to recommend against demolishing the former Holy Family School, opposing a demolition permit application filed by the Catholic Diocese of Columbus for the historic Franklinton property.
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The Franklinton Area Commission voted 8-1 Tuesday to recommend against demolishing the former Holy Family School, as community advocates push to transform the historic building into a resource center for people experiencing homelessness.
Representatives for the Catholic Diocese of Columbus told commissioners on Tuesday that the structure has become an untenable safety hazard, citing repeated break-ins, interior fires and drug needles discovered inside.
Read supporting passage
Representatives of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus said the building has become a safety hazard, citing repeated break-ins, fires and drug needles found inside.
Diocese representatives also stated that Holy Family parish lacks the financial resources required to maintain or repair the building, noting that rehabilitating the property for educational use could cost more than $20 million.
Read supporting passage
The Diocese said the parish does not have the financial resources to maintain the building. Representatives also said the Diocese has not decided what to do with the property after demolition.
Diocese representatives also stated that Holy Family parish lacks the financial resources required to maintain or repair the building, noting that rehabilitating the property for educational use could cost more than $20 million.
Read supporting passage
A Diocese representative said restoring the building for use as a school could cost more than $20 million.
Addressing the commission, a diocese representative cautioned that without substantial capital in hand, preservation discussions remain impractical: “If you're not coming with $20 million plus to fix it up, then you're wasting our time,” the representative said.
Read supporting passage
“If you're not coming with $20 million plus to fix it up, then you're wasting our time,” the representative said.
The diocese has not yet decided what it would build on the site if the school is razed.
Read supporting passage
The Diocese said the parish does not have the financial resources to maintain the building. Representatives also said the Diocese has not decided what to do with the property after demolition.
Tonia Vargas, executive director of the Columbus nonprofit Just Believe Personal Enrichment Corp., presented a proposal to acquire and restore the property into a centralized resource center providing housing assistance, workforce training, educational programs and a soup kitchen.
Read supporting passage
Tonia Vargas, executive director of Just Believe Personal Enrichment Corp., a Columbus-based nonprofit, wants to acquire and restore the property to provide housing resources, workforce development, a soup kitchen and other community services.
Community advocates estimated that adaptive-reuse renovations could cost between $5 million and $12 million, though that figure has not been independently verified.
Read supporting passage
Community advocates estimate renovations could cost between $5 million and $12 million, though that estimate has not been independently verified.
Schweitzer, also spoke in favor of preserving the school, stating that repurposing the site would honor the neighborhood's history by providing direct aid to people in need.
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Ronald Coleman, the great-nephew of Monsignor Francis X. Schweitzer, the longtime pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, also supports preserving the building and giving it a new purpose.
The commission’s vote serves only as an advisory recommendation.
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The commission’s vote is a recommendation, not a final decision. The city will determine whether to authorize the demolition permit.
Supporting evidence (1)
Loewendick & Sons filed the commercial demolition application on Sept. 21 on behalf of the diocese.
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Demolition company S.G. Loewendick & Sons filed the application on Sept. 21 to demolish the more than 45,000-square-foot building, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
https://columbuslandmarks.org/holy-family-school/
Supporting evidence (1)
The school was built in 1913 in a Romanesque Revival style and sheltered Franklinton residents during the Great Flood that same year, even after floodwaters inundated its basement.
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Holy Family School was about to open in 1913 when the Great Flood overwhelmed Franklinton and the surrounding area. The basement flooded but the school provided refuge for many from lower ground.
https://columbusunderground.com/plans-filed-to-demolish-former-school-museum-building-bw1/
Supporting evidence (1)
Under municipal code, the applicant can request immediate commission consent or wait out a mandatory 60-day review period that began Sept. 21.
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A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Building and Zoning Services explained that, for the Holy Family building, the applicant can choose to go to the Franklinton Area Commission to ask permission to take down the building right away, or can simply wait the required 60 days, at which point the permit will be issued and demolition can begin (the window expires on November 20).