Adjacent to the Columbus Metropolitan Library stands the Ohio Deaf School, an 1898 building designed by architects Richards, McCarty and Bulford. As an example of state institutional architecture, it represents one of a limited number of nineteenth-century state buildings remaining in Columbus. This article from the Columbus Dispatch reveals the decision of the Capitol South Urban Redevelopment Corporation to recommend sale of the building to Campus Apartments, Inc. of Philadelphia. The recommendation comes after a period of reviewing proposals for redevelopment, and, if approved by City Council, will pave the way for a $13 million transformation into apartments facing the city’s well-known Topiary Park.

In Springfield, one of two remaining historic downtown theaters may see a renewed lease on life. According to this article from the Springfield News, the long-vacant Regent Theatre, a 1920 legitmate theater designed by C. Howard Crane, was donated by the owner, Chakeres Theatres, to a consortium of interests including the Turner Foundation, Wittenberg University, Clark State University and the local arts council. The Regent, which sat 1,450 people, features dressing rooms where the signatures of Mae West and the Marx Brothers can still be found. The property was listed on the Springfield Preservation Alliance's "2006 Preservation Priorties List." While restoration is not a certain outcome, this donation creates an opportunity for a careful look at preserving this important piece of local history.

Photo: Regent Theatre, Sprngfield/Preservation Ohio File Photo