Last week, the Crown Point Board of Public Works and Safety voted unanimously to reaffirm the unsafe building order, issued last December, and to proceed with demolition after Mayor Pete Land explained that redevelopment plans had fallen through.
Creekside Outdoor Living had been looking to restore the 139-year-old Trinity Lutheran church, but according to Land, Creekside was unable to reach an agreement to buy the historic church from the 1886 Foundation, which owns it.
The foundation wouldn’t approve the sale of the property unless there were assurances that the church would be part of the renovations.
Mike Arnold, president of Creekside, told city officials they needed to assess the structure before proceeding with any of its plans and couldn’t agree to the terms of the foundation.
City Attorney Alex Kutanovski said Demolition could proceed after a schedule is set up that will include possibly removing any asbestos and receiving a permit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, according to City Attorney Alex Kutanovski.
The determined timeline is currently unknown.
