Old Viola school building gets reprieve

Plans to declare a former rural Linn County school building a public health and safety hazard got put on hold this week.  That's to give new owners time to salvage the structure.

The 88-year-old former Viola Elementary building was closed in 1998.  The Anamosa School District sold the surplus building, located in Viola, to a private owner.  But original plans to turn the old school into apartments or some other use fell apart over the years.  During that time, people and animals got inside the building and made a mess.  Linn County health officials say there were even signs of meth making activity and some walls were in danger of collapse.

Linn County Public Health Director Curtis Dickson gave the owner a final May 15

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deadline to secure the building and show plans to reverse the damage.  Dickson said going to court for a demolition order might have left county taxpayers will a $200,000 bill for all the clean up.  But he was prepared to do that before a visit to the site last Monday.

Dickson said he put any demolition plans  on hold to give new owners time to turn things around.

With a donation, the building now belongs to the Stone City Art Foundation.  Director Ian Cullis, who's also the mayor of Robins, said he's ready to begin work on a revival plan.

“I intend to put it on the state historical register and make a plan to reconstruct the thing,” Cullis said.

Cullis said his group is willing to install an eight-foot-high security fence requested by the county and make sure all doors and windows are secured to keep people and animals out.  That work needs to be completed by the end of the month.  The art foundation also has three months to submit a plan for repairing the roof and interior walls of the old school building.

Cullis said his group wants to use the building as some sort of art center.  But they don't have more specific plans yet.

By Dave Franzman, KCRG-TV