Architect Vance Travis said he is urging Red Bank officials to use two portions of the old Red Bank Middle School to move city hall to the city of town and to create a new town center.
Mr. Travis said the old gym could be put to use as city hall with one portion converted to two floors of offices and the remainder left open for commission meetings. He said the renovation would be similar to what the city of Chattanooga did with its old jail on Lindsay Street at 10th.
He said the auditorium has over 1,000 seats and is a special place to many Red Bank graduates. The old school on Dayton Boulevard was initially Red Bank High School and most recently served as the middle school. He said the auditorium could be used for a variety of events, including concerts, plays and public meetings.
There could be shared parking between the two buildings, he said.
He said the property is about 12 acres and there still would be some 10 acres for use as a mixed-use town center. He said Red Bank no longer has a real town center.
The entire campus on Dayton Boulevard had been slated to be torn down since a new middle school designed by Mr. Travis is being built behind the current high school.
Mr. Travis said city officials need to decide soon because "a year from now it will all be gone" under current plans.
He said the project "could be a catalyst for the city to help bring Red Bank back to the thriving community it was 20 to 30 years ago."