"Local news worth reading" — The New York Times 
SUBSCRIBE
Vox Populi 
Logo
The independent voice for West Orange County news
Ocoee

So long, Old Ocoee City Hall

Ocoee resident Ginger Bolinski had gone to pay her water bill at Ocoee's new city hall when the demolition of the city's old city hall, by Casselberry company, Advanced Demolition LLC, caught her attention. She took these photos and posted them on NextDoor, where VoxPopuli spotted them. She's allowed us to reproduce them here.

"I saw them tearing it down, so wanted photos," she told us in a message exchange on NextDoor.

The Old City Hall, located at 150 Lakeshore Drive, was built in 1994 in harmony with the 1888 Gothic Stick Style architecture of the Withers-Maguire House. But within six years, the building, which had been built on the marshland after the waters of Starke Lake had receded, had sunk six inches into the ground. Even a $35,000 rehabilitation project undertaken in 2014 ultimately was unable to stop the sinking. Ocoee City Manager Robert Frank told VoxPopuli in January that the building "would likely continue to settle" and anything beyond "limited occupation cannot be allowed." Demolition was approved during the Jan. 17 city commission meeting.

Down Arrow

Continue Story

"Looks great! Can’t wait to see what’s coming in it’s place—hopefully it’s [sic] foundation is more solid and steady…" commented Laura Norman of The Reserve at Meadow Lake on NextDoor.

While ideas for site use abounded on the NextDoor thread — from the "Perry Norman Library & Municipal Complex" to reimagining Starke Lake as a family entertainment center — District 1 Commissioner Scott Kennedy confirmed via text message that to date, the city has no plans for the site. He added that a master developer will be brought in and workshops are planned.

No items found.

Related Stories

More Stories