Residents can offer input over future of 2 Marysville park buildings Sept. 19

Marysville residents looking to learn more and offer input on the future of two decades-old structures still standing in the city’s community park will get their chance next month.

A meeting about the old city hall or Marysville Historical Museum building on Huron Boulevard and the band shell inside the park will be the focus of a public meeting on Monday, Sept. 19.

That’s set for 7 p.m. at the Marysville Community Center, 867 Huron Blvd., with tours available of each of the museum and band shell structures at 6 p.m.

“If anyone is interested in kind of an open discussion about whether to remodel the band shell or build new — we have money for that — and/or the museum, they’re welcome to do so,” City Manager Randy Fernandez said on Monday. However, he also cautioned, “It is not a formal meeting.”

The meeting next month will be far from the first time officials addressed both buildings, located at Marysville City Park.

Officials have discussed each, particularly during past budget sessions, over the last several years, citing needed repairs or plans to rehab or replace each of them.

For some residents, concern over the future of the structures re-emerged after the city tore down a smaller, former museum structure also located on Huron and the park’s southern edge earlier this summer. Officials, at the time, had pointed to the blight of that building, such as its roof falling apart, before it was razed.

Moving forward, however, city leaders said they wanted the public’s input involved as they look over options long before City Council members make a decision.

Mayor Wayne Pyden said previously they would have to make improvements to the old city hall, if kept, to bring it up to code and be universally accessible.

Fernandez said the city has already had a study done on the needs of that structure, adding it’d take $325,000 to $350,000 to renovate, and that there were no funds or grants set aside at present for such a project.

Meanwhile, the city is in talks with St. Clair County Commissioner Duke Dunn, whose district includes Marysville, to use a share of his funds of the county’s American Rescue Plan dollars to expand or replace the band shell.

“Through our architect and our engineer, we have drawings of a renovated band shell that (would) cost around 470,000 or so, and then, we have renderings of a new (structure that) will cost around 450,000 or so,” Fernandez said. The drawings, he said, were being processed to have available for viewing during the Sept. 19 meeting.

'Nobody's idea will be poopooed,' says meeting organizer

Councilman David Barber will be leading the discussion during the 7 p.m. meeting.

Before it starts, though, he’ll lead the tour of the old city hall, while Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Hayman handles the band shell.

At the recreation center that night, Barber said, “I’m just going to put the tables in a big square. I’m going to stand in the middle with a dry-erase board and let people tell us what they foresee happening to those two structures.”

Barber said that the public meeting and tours will be family-friendly and that attendees will be able to offer input freely. “Nobody’s idea will be poopooed,” he said.

He also emphasized it wasn’t aimed to be political with a contested city election — he’s running for one of four running for three council seats, while Hayman is running for mayor — on tap in this November’s general election.

Council members will be able to look at the input after the Sept. 19 session before making final decisions about how to handle the two structures moving forward.

“If nobody takes advantage of this and council makes a decision, basically, shame on them,” Barber said. “I don't think we’re leaning one way or the other,” he added. “Both the band shell (and old city hall), I know we have to make decisions, but we’re open to have ideas.”

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.