Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club member Paul Lewis, right, talks about renovations the club has performed at the Lockmaster’s House on Front Street while Ward 2 Councilman Bret Allphin. left, listens during a Marietta City Council Public Lands and Buildings Committee meeting Monday evening. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Marietta City Council toured an historic building it owns Monday and discussed renewing a local organization’s lease on the building.

During a Public Lands and Buildings Committee meeting Monday evening, Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club Vice President Paul Lewis gave council members and city administration a tour of the Lockmaster’s House located near the Marietta Armory on Front Street.

The city owns the building, and according to Lewis the club pays the city $1 to lease it and the club is responsible for maintenance and taking care of the building.

Lewis showed off the first floor of the building, talking about some of the renovations the club has performed and explaining some of the historical items the club displays there.

One of these items is a wooden bicycle wheel that hangs on the wall.

Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club Vice President Paul Lewis, left, leaves the Lockmaster’s House on Front Street after giving council members a tour of the building to show renovations the club has done. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“It’s one of the original bicycle wheels made by the bicycle factory down on Montgomery Street a long time ago,” Lewis said during the tour.

At-Large Councilman and Public Buildings and Lands Committee Chair Harley Noland said the factory was a huge wooden bicycle wheel factory that spanned both sides of Front Street.

According to Lewis, the Lockmaster’s House was built in 1899 and while its vulnerability to flooding limits the building’s use the club uses it for meetings, projects and sometimes things like bicycle safety and maintenance demonstrations.

“The walls and these (floors) and so forth were replaced by the club,” Lewis said to those on the tour. “We hired a contractor and he came along and numbered all of the floor joists in the basement where it floods. Volunteers for the club hauled the two-by-fours and four-by-fours and big beams in here and put this structure together at the direction of this contractor.”

Noland asked Lewis how much the club has spent on the building.

Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club Vice President Paul Lewis, center, discusses some of the historical items the club has in the Lockmaster’s House during a tour of the building as Mayor Joshua Schlicher, left, and Marietta City Council Ward 2 Councilman Bret Allphin, right, listen. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“The club spent … about $14,000 including contractors fees,” Lewis said.

According to Lewis, club members also gave free volunteer labor for repairs.

“The bulk of the $14,000 was spent in the basement … there was some concern from the city about the foundation and we hired an engineering (firm) to take a look at it,” club member Mark Vonkennell said.

According to Lewis, there has been no utility work done in the building and there is no water or bathroom or hot water heater. There were light bulbs located on the ceiling that were on during the tour.

Noland asked Lewis if the club has any long term plans on how to develop or use the building.

Marietta City Council Ward 2 Councilman Bret Allphin, left, and City Director of Budget and Purchasing Mitch Dimmerling, right, look at the Lockmaster’s House during a tour given by the Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“Well that’s a good question,” Lewis said. “Of course, I would say yes. I spent some time talking to (City Development Director) Geoff Schenkel and also of course we’re interested in the (American) Structurepoint engineering firm that’s going to write the (city’s) RAISE grant (application).”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website, the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant is a discretionary grant program for investments in surface transportation infrastructure that will have a significant local or regional impact.

According to Lewis, he has talked to a few people at American Structurepoint who are working on writing the city’s grant application and they said Lockmater’s House renovations could be a potential project to include in the grant application.

“We try to be realistic about what’s possible here since you never know when it’s going to flood,” Lewis said. “So we always felt that what we would want to do is completely redo the outside of the building. It’s a historical structure in Marietta. It needs work mostly on the outside.”

He said there are some things inside the building that need work, like fixing a window. He also said the club performs the maintenance on the building.

The Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club leases the Lockmaster’s House, the inside of which is pictured, from the City of Marietta and has performed some renovations on the inside of the building. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Vonkennell asked if the city is interested in developing the Lockmaster’s House.

“Not off the top of my head,” Mayor Joshua Schlicher, who was on the tour, said.

Vonkennel then asked if there is anybody else expressing interest in the building and Noland said not to his knowledge.

Noland asked if the club wishes to continue their lease and Lewis said they do and the club likes the terms of the lease.

After the tour council and the administration members went back to the Marietta Armory for the meeting and further discussed the lease renewal.

The Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club leases the Lockmaster’s House from the City of Marietta and has performed around $14,000 of renovations mostly in the basement. Pictured are the steps that lead to the basement. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Ward 4 Councilwoman Erin O’Neill expressed a concern she had about insurance for the building, because the city owns the building and carries insurance on it.

“Is there anything we can write into the lease about insurance,” she asked and expressed concern that if someone is injured in the building the city might be held liable.

Lewis said the club has “some financial depth” and he “wouldn’t be surprised” if they could come up with some money, depending on how much it is.

Noalnd asked Schlicher to find out from the insurance company what the portion would be for the building and said he would get the information to Lewis to see if it is agreeable.