MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A Middletown church has sold its building, and the pastor believes Central Connections, the city’s senior citizens center, is the perfect location to move the congregation and take over operations.
Pastor Scott Johnson from Crosspointe Church of Christ addressed City Council last week during his four-minute citizens' comment portion of the meeting.
Church services will be held at Crosspointe until the end of May, he told the Journal-News after his presentation. He said it would be “a no-brainer” if the city of Middletown sold Central Connections, 3907 Central Ave., to the church and allowed it to preserve the senior center and partner with a non-profit to operate the 600-seat event center.
He described a possible partnership as “a true victory for our senior citizens.”
Johnson said the church’s elders have not discussed a purchase price of Central Connections, which has a $2.15 million appraised value for its land and building, according to the Butler County Auditor’s Office.
Last year the city purchased Central Connections for $1.8 million with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the Middletown Area Senior Citizens Inc., and Johnson believes the city could recoup its investment in five years.
City officials said city staff, in accordance with direction provided by City Council, will be issuing a request for proposals (RFP) next week for the operation of Central Connections. At that time, the city will welcome all proposals for the building and services for Middletown seniors, the city said.
The care and well-being of Middletown citizens will remain “a top priority” when considering proposals for Central Connections, said Clayton Castle, communications manager.
Central Connections found itself in financial difficulty after then-Executive Director Diane Rodgers was terminated in July 2023. She is under investigation for possible theft, though no charges have been filed, according to Middletown police.
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This is the second time Middletown residents have invested in the center. Voters approved two five-year, 1-mill senior levies that generated $7 million to provide or maintain senior services at the center. The levy expired on Dec. 31, 2022 after 10 years.
Counting the $1.8 million purchase price, $8.8 million in taxpayers’ money has been spent on the center in the last 12 years.
Since the city took over operating the center, hours have been reduced and senior services cut.
Johnson called seniors “the neglected part of our population. They have been through the ringer with all this debacle that they didn’t ask for.”
He envisions the church opening a preschool in the building and continuing its many community events, including Veterans Day luncheons, participating with Serving the Homeless with Alternate Lodging Of Middletown (SHALOM) and hosting kids activities, health screenings and family festivals.
While the church would partner with a nonprofit to operate the event center, Johnson doesn’t want that to be the main focus. If that happened, he said, the event center would “push the seniors out.”
Last month, city staff, City Council members and residents heard recommendations from a task force regarding the future of Central Connections.
The task force, formed by City Manager Paul Lolli, met for months, and Bob Nolan, a business consultant and tax specialist, said the task force considered three options: Continue operating as it is with limited senior programs and no banquet services; lease the property to a company that can run it as a senior center/event center; or sell the property.
Nolan said the city should send out requests for proposals to determine if there is interest in a catering business leasing the building and operating the senior and event center.
Leasing to one operator “makes the most sense” because senior services and the event center would be under one roof, according to Nolan.
Council member Steve West II has said he hopes the city gets out of operating the facility and it should look for a “name-brand” company to operate the center so the city is “never put in this situation again.”
Mayor Elizabeth Slamka has told the Journal-News that serving the seniors was her top priority.
“We have to focus on them first,” she said.
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