‘Endangered’ Salesian club building sold
One of the “most endangered” structures in Columbus has been sold.
The Salesian Boys and Girls Club, 80 S. 6th St., was sold for $3 million to a company affiliated with Connect Realty, according to Franklin County Auditor records.
Built in 1925, the structure was included in the most recent list of endangered structures published by the Columbus Landmarks Foundation.
Brad Dehays, president of Connect Realty, said the brick building — which is five stories and nearly 87,000 square feet — has been winterized to avoid damage.
Dehays said he will come up with a plan for the property in the next year or so.
“I’d known about the property for quite some time, and own some property in the vicinity,” Dehays said. “At the end of the day, it’s going to take a while to come up with some plans.”
The club was designed by the local architecture firm Richards, Mccarty and Bulford as a headquarters for the Knights of Columbus, according to Columbus Landmarks. The building includes a grand ballroom, gymnasium, bowling alley, swimming pool and basketball court.
Roman Catholic religious order the Salesian Society acquired the property in 1968 and used it as a Boys and Girls Club. The building was last used as the Bosco Center until May 2017 and has since been vacant.
Though some developers have spoken about razing the historic building, “I don’t have plans either way,” Dehays said. “We’ve got to do a feasibility study to see if anything can be done. Sometime over the next 12 to 18 months we’ll come up with a plan for the property.