The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-08-11
SPuRN
SECOND OFFERS
FROM SCHOOLS
North A Street Church Re
fuses to Consider Disposal
of Property Under Any
Circumstances.
CITY NEEDS SPACE
CITY NEEDS SPACE
Supt. Giles Says Board Plan
ned to Condemn North
Half of Block to Use for
New Building.

Contemplating the condemna-
tion of the north half Of the
square containing the North A
Street Friends church, includ-
ing the three private properties
recently sold to individuals,
members of the Richmond
School Board, yesterday after
noon, made efforts to obtain the
south half of the square on
which the meeting house stands.
The several trustees who were
interviewed, unhesitatingly and
absolutely refused to open nego-
tiations.
The school board, which met in \
called meeting at the instance of Su-
Giles. offered to trade
the Garfield school site for the south
halt Of the SQUARE and the church
building or buy the ground and struc-
ture outright through the issuance Of
bonds George Parry, one Of the trus-
tees. to whom the offer was made,
discussed the matter with several
other members of the church. The
trustees declined to consider the of.
fer.
The renewed efforts OF the school
board to secure the property resulted
from a keener appreciation OF the
of finding means to elimin-
ate the congestion in the Garfield
school and in the high school.
Would Condemn Rest.
1t was the purpose Of the school
board, if 1t succeeded in exchanging
the Garfield site for the Friends
church site, to condemn the private
property on the north side of the
square and erect in the center Of the
square a modern school building for
pupils of the Seventh and Eighth
grades and first-year high school stu
ients. The erection Of building such
as the board has in mind would entail
The expenditure Of between 100000
and $15O,000. There Is at present a
b100,000 bonded Indebtedness on the
schools which could be increased to
100000.
Through the purchase of the south
half of the square, the board could
condemn the north half for school
purposes, and in doing so be within
is legal right. The board declined to
ouy the north half Of the ground some
months ago when it was offered for
sale, because 1t could not legally con-
lemn the church property on the
south half. One-half of the square
,nly would be useless for the con.
,truction of school building.
Anxious to Buy Lots.
Superintendent Giles said today that
he school authorities are anxious to
obtain the property and would will
ngly go to extremes to secure 1t.
Charles Moore, one Of the trustees, in
speaking for the official board this
declared that the refusal to
any offer presented was final.
rhe church board has no intention of
selling, and will not under any con-
'ideration. part with its present
ground and structure, he said.
"The school board will hear and
any plan which Is appar-
entity feasible to eliminate the con-
,estion in the high school and Gar
ield school next year." said Mr.. Giles
n discussing the subject today. I'VE
ully appreciate the need of a new
This year we will be equip
,ed to handle the situation, but the
Ichool term in 1916 must open. seeing
Is prepared for every contingency
1T will require a years time to
,uild a new school house, and the
,oard realizes that it has no time to
waste in finding a suitable site. We
AVE nothing in mind since the church
las declined our offers, but we will
i've much time to the matter in the
ollowing weeks and months"