Lake City Council weighs returning women's club deed as private restoration offers surface

The Lake City Council met in a June workshop to discuss the future of the historic Women’s Club building after city staff told the council multiple contractor evaluations found the structure "was not structurally sound" and that repair estimates exceed $200,000.

City Manager Rosenthal summarized the technical findings, saying, "the cost that we've been getting on repairing this structure has been over $200,000." That assessment, the council heard, included a structural survey performed for the city’s insurer by Nova and follow‑up contractor proposals that varied widely.

The council opened the meeting for public comment, where residents and users of the building urged preservation and offered options. Resident Debbie Griffin proposed a private capital campaign with tiered donor levels, saying, "create a capital campaign... Legacy Circle would be at a $50,000 mark." Longtime rental agent Marilyn Hamm explained the building’s wartime history and the club’s long role in managing rentals, and said rental income historically was reinvested in maintenance.

Local contractor Josh Sparks, who reviewed the roof structure in person, said the…