By T. Scott Boatright
Change is in the works for a pair of Ruston buildings following the March City Council meeting held Monday night at City Hall.
Ruston’s Board of Aldermen introduced an ordinance that would, if passed after being discussed in next month’s meeting, authorize the city to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement to sell the historic Federal Building located at 201 N. Vienna St. while also passing a resolution authorizing the city to enter into a contract related to replacing the building located at 200 Memorial Drive that housed the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3615.
That existing VFW building has been condemned and is set for demolition. VFW Post 3615 meetings are currently being held at the Ruston Historic Fire Station.
In other business, Ruston’s City Council introduced an ordinance that if passed next month will authorize the city to sell its fiber optic network, passed a resolution authorizing the city to enter in a contract to install two separate electric vehicle charging stations and passed an ordinance adopting amendments for the period of Oct.1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023, to the city budget for that fiscal year.
The funding provided by the resolution to replace the old VFW Post across the street from the North Louisiana War Museum with a new foundation and metal building is set for $300,000 with additional funding to be raised by VFW Post 3615 and its Auxiliary.
Cost of the project is set to be around $349,000.
Post Commander Tom Boniol, who is also the Commander of Ruston’s American Legion Post 2, and his wife Cathi Cox-Boniol said fundraising efforts will include the creation of a custom-made grilling trailer as well as a fish fryer that will be raffled off.
“It’s hard to get the Historic Fire Stations on weekends and some other times, so we’ve had to work around things and sometimes use other places like Temple Baptist Church,” Cox–Boniol said.
“Even when we set up for meetings at the Old Historic Fire Station, (the Post leaders) want to do things right, so they have to go and pull out stuff for the MIA/POW table — stuff that already should be set up with a building of their own. Before and after meetings they spend all this time bringing stuff in, setting it up and then hauling it back out. That’s when they should be talking to each other and meeting the needs of our veterans.”
The new VFW building is expected to be completed and ready to move into in late 2023 or early 2024.
Ruston’s Historic Federal Building was bought from the U.S. government in 2016 in hopes of creating a state-of-the art facility to house the North Central Louisiana Arts Council (NCLAC), but renovation costs, including a new roof and removal/cleanup of mold and asbestos have caused a change in those plans.
Oliver Road Investments LLC out of Monroe is interested in buying the building with plans on turning it into a restaurant.
“The North Central Louisiana Arts Council (NCLAC) has been working to ensure the preservation of the historic Ruston Post Office,” said NCLAC president Gary Faulkner.
“We wanted to establish an arts center and home for NCLAC, but we are supportive of this proposed restoration, which aligns with our community’s goal for continued preservation and beautification of downtown Ruston. The newly restored building will serve as an anchor for the city’s emerging arts and entertainment district, marking a win for the city, its citizens, and the members and patrons of NCLAC. We are honored to have played a role in its return to grandeur.”
The two electric vehicle charging stations Ruston’s City Council authorized to be built at a cost of $70,000 will be located at Ruston’s Old Historic Fire Station and the Ruston Sports Complex.
Ruston Public Works Manager Andrew Halbrook said there will be a fee charged to use the stations but that those fees have not yet been determined.
The city decided recently it’s time to get out of its fiber optic business, which services approximately 300 commercial commercials. Mayor Ronny Walker said that more than 10 companies are interested in buying the city’s underground and fiber optic network.
