Kenyon Hall will stand for the time being, but it won’t be a cheap victory for the Lyon County Historical Society.
District Judge John Sanderson issued a temporary injunction Friday, meaning the former College of Emporia building cannot be torn down until a final ruling is made on its demolition permit.
But Sanderson also ruled that plaintiffs Steve Hanschu and the Lyon County Historical Society would have to come up with a $107,045 bond — the amount that owner Markowitz-Mitchell LLC estimated it would lose by delaying demolition until spring.
Sanderson warned that the waiting could go on longer than that. Either side could appeal his ruling on the permit, he said, and then appeal again to the Kansas Supreme Court. Potentially, he said, the case could drag on for 2 1/2 years.
• For more on the court proceedings, see Saturday's Emporia Gazette.
hornetjonh (anonymous) says...
Kenyon Hall is a building of historical interest to Emporia, Kansas. It is an outrage that someone wants to plow it! No one plowed the Granada Theatre, which was a piece of the glorius history in Emporia. Why would we destroy the last standing evidence of "The College Of Emporia?" If anything, the "College Of Emporia" should provide a sense of pride to Emporians in that we used to have TWO universities. That's more than Manhattan or Lawrence! I pity anyone who wants to demolish this building for their ignorance. I emplore everyone to work together and keep Kenyon Hall standing, if for no other reason, than as a reminder of the gilded age in Emporia.
November 6, 2006 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tknaak (inactive user) says...
It costs alot of money to keep up a building like that. The Granada is in the millions now I think. Unless a rich person really wants to see it stay, its not going to happen.
November 6, 2006 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hornetjonh (anonymous) says...
Why can't the community come together to keep a valuable piece of Emporia's history? After all, it is a point of historic interest to our city. Does our community not care enough about our past? Why not raise sales tax in order that the city purchase the building for public use as a community center? Or maybe we could keep it as a standing memorial to Emporia's great history as a town based on education? That building is a standing symbol for us. At least for some of us.
November 10, 2006 at 1:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CharlesScott (anonymous) says...
It doesn't cost as much as the new owners are making it out
the building is not in as bad of shape as they say its had owners all those years who have been up keeping it putting money into it and slowly restoring it
i have personally seen some of the cost of restoration on this building and its no were near the price they say there trying to lie there way into its destruction because its easier for them
the building does not have decay in the concrete nothing is wrong with the building structurally it need about 100,000$ maybe more in repairs to the roof to bring it back to its original state slate slats needs some major plumbing work on most of the floors the heating system had just been replace brand new boiler system miner electrical work alot of the building had been gone thru bye electricians and some plaster and paint work some parts of the building more than others it has a beautiful atotorium thats stage needs a bit of work and its second and 3 floor needs some paint and plaster ect the 4th floor is the worse but its small and wouldn't need much money bottom line is the building isn't that bad off Markowitz-Mitchell LLC is making it seem worse because there is more profit in it for them to tear it down and put something new in the buildings estimated value in 99 was 3.5 million but there know one willing to pay near that price they paid the rock of life church 60,000 or so and said to sell it they wanted some god awful ammount they haven't put much money into permits or cost to equal that
sorry for the wall of text in a hurry
December 7, 2006 at 9:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )