An ordinance that would approve the sale of the Bellefontaine Armory, 1021 S. Main St., to Wawa Midwest, LLC, stumbled out of gate at the regular meeting of the Bellefontaine City Council Tuesday, April 28, as council members Wes Easton and Mick Lile voted no on the first of three readings of the measure.

The ordinance calls for the city to sell the two parcels of land on which the Armory sits to Wawa Midwest, LLC for $550,000. The Armory building straddles the two parcels.

According to the Logan County Auditor’s website, the two parcels total 1.32 acres with parcel 17-091-20-07-016-001 totaling 0.580 acres, and parcel 17-091-20-07-016-000 containing 0.740 acres. The auditor’s site said that the first parcel has been appraised $353,870, while the second parcel – the L-shaped section in the graphic – is appraised at $241,760.

Construction on the Bellefontaine Armory was initiated in 1947 and the building was dedicated in 1950. It at one time housed a local National Guard unit as well as a medical unit detachment, but the building has been fallen into neglect and disrepair over time and has sat virtually empty and unused for a number of years.

The history card on the Logan County Auditor’s site shows that the Logan County Commissioners received the land and building from the State of Ohio in 2009 and the Commission transferred ownership of the two lots to Bellefontaine in 2017, both times with no money changing hands.

The Council’s Finance Committee Chair Kyle Springs was quick point out that the parcels were not placed on the market by the city and said that an agent representing Wawa Midwest approached the city with an offer to buy the land, not vice versa.

But after the reading of the ordinance, Easton followed his “no” vote with a request that an accurate appraisal of the building and land be conducted prior to the city considering selling the parcels, a suggestion that was enthusiastically backed by Lile. 

Following the meeting, Lile stated a prospective buyer for the lots was recently turned down by the city for reasons he said remain unclear. He went on to say that the overall deal hinges on the sale of third private lot on the northeast corner of south Main Street and east Lake Avenue, a lot and building that currently houses Katterhenry Investment Group at 1041 S. Main St.

It is unlikely that the Armory can be accurately appraised prior to the next scheduled meeting of the council.

Springs said after the meeting that a comprehensive appraisal of the building could cost the city as much as $8,000. He went on to note that should an reputable appraiser take the job for less than $5,000, Mayor Dave Crissman has the authority to authorize the contract, but any amount over that $5,000 ceiling must be approved by the council. 

The council has a number of options regarding the sale of the Armory at this point. Springs said that, from a legislative standpoint, the ordinance could be tabled at the next meeting if the appraisal is not completed by that time, but the council is not obligated to do this.

The council may also proceed with the second and third readings of the measure, with or without an appraisal, should a majority of council members it see fit to do so. The ordinance could also be killed should a majority of council vote “no” on either the second or third readings. 

In other matters Tuesday, the council unanimously passed and adopted two ordinances, the first of which will grant Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio a gas franchise in the city for a period of 25 years, a contract which will automatically renew for addition periods of five years.

The second measure vacated, at the request of VFW, Post 1080, 216 Orchard, a 0.173-acre parcel owned by the Logan County Metropolitan Housing Authority located between the 600 blocks of north Detroit Street and Henry Street.

The three ordinances that were up for a second reading at Tuesday’s meeting all passed without dissenting votes. The first will make supplemental appropriations for the recreational equipment, while the others two will allow the Service/Safety Director to advertise for bids for the 2026 street paving program, which is expected to costs $700,000, and the street painting program, which is expected to cost $80,000. Both ordinances will be up for their third and final readings at the next regular meeting.

Another ordinance that was up for a first reading Tuesday will amend the city’s permanent appropriations for 2026 to include raising the Revolving Loan House account from $10,000 to $40,000 and increased the West TIF fund from $0 to $250,000.

The Bellefontaine City Council is scheduled to meet again in regular session Tuesday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m.