By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
No gymnasium in the Adams County Service Complex?
The gymnasium where hundreds of Decatur High School games were played?
Where the legendary Bellmont High School wrestling program was launched?
Where pickleball games and other activities are being held almost daily?
Yes, it could happen. In fact, an architectural firm is working on plans that would affect the gymnasium.
But numerous decisions would have to be made before the loss of the gym would become a reality.
The talk – and it is still talk – comes about due to several factors, including a desire to bring several county departments under the same roof.
Then there are the understandable security concerns, especially for Adams Superior Court, now located in the former library building.
Adams County Commissioner Stan Stoppenhagen says they would like to move superior court, Community Corrections (now situated a short distance north of Decatur) the probation department and the prosecutor’s office (both in the courthouse) into the service complex.
“It would be more efficient and we would have better security; the old library building is not a place for the court,” Stoppenhagen said.
That would require a major project. “And, unfortunately, we would have to take over the gym.”
“We had been going in a different direction,” Stoppenhagen noted “What we were looking at (a nearby site) we couldn’t get, couldn’t get control of.”
“Building by the jail (on county land at the south edge of Decatur) would be much more expensive. We have a lot of infrastructure already in place (at the service complex), infrastructure that we would not have to duplicate. And we want to stay downtown.”
“The downside is, we would have to take over the gym.”
He understands the concerns.
“I love that gym,” Stoppenhagen exclaimed. “We’ve been maintaining it since 1994 or 1995, when we moved in. I certainly would hate to vacate it.”
“Maybe we can work with the parks department and the city to find something new.”
The county has hired an architectural firm that is now working on plans to make major changes at the service complex.
“When they get that, we can look at it, see what it would cost. Then we’ll discuss what to do next,” Stoppenhagen explained.
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