The former Stinesville Elementary School will soon be repurposed at the hands of the town council.

The council voted Tuesday to accept an offer from the Richland Bean Blossom Community School Corporation to purchase the building for $1.

In 2017 the R-BB school board approved a controversial decision to close the school due to declining student enrollment and high costs.

The council received an official offer from the district in mid-December. Town council President Reggie Payton says this gives the space a second chance.

"So the only thing that we can do is try to acquire the building and control the destiny of what happens and make sure it doesn’t get bulldozed over, or the wrong things go in," he says.

Payton says the council has outgrown their current space at the McGlocklin Park Shelterhouse and the school building has the potential to serve as a more permanent workspace for the group.

There are a number of options on the table for utilizing the facility, including a community center and office spaces.

A crowdfunding campaign with a $10,000 goal seeks assistance with utility bills and maintenance costs.

Payton says he doesn’t anticipate short term maintenance costs to be a challenge, but other expenses like utilities are still to be determined.