On this day in 1990, the old Ohio Penitentiary received an unpleasant greeting: a solid hit with a wrecking ball. Behind the controls, Mayor Dana G. Rinehart.

After passing away in February 2015, Rinehart left behind a legacy consisting of many accomplishments, like the extensive commercial development of downtown Columbus.

The problem at the time? Rinehart put a $100,000 down payment towards purchasing the site of the Ohio Penitentiary from the state. However, the state said he had no permission to demolish any part of it. The addition that faced Spring Street, said to have been built over 100 years ago at the time, was the victim of the premature demolition.

State officials and preservationists voiced their concern over the issue. The demolition was put on hold due to the removal of asbestos from the basement.

Then-reporter, now Dispatch editor Alan Miller wrote up all these details in his initial story, published August 2, 1990. You can read the full story from that day below.

Later, Rinehart held the situation in jest. By 1998, the penitentiary had been razed and is now the Arena District.

Aug 2, 1990

PEN WRECKING BALL RAISES RUCKUS

State officials and preservationists reacted with shock and dismay yesterday after Mayor Dana G. Rinehart took a wrecking ball to an addition on the Spring Street facade of the old Ohio Penitentiary.

The demolition has been stopped.

Shortly after giving the state a $100,000 down payment toward buying the site, Rinehart called a news conference and jumped behind the controls of a wrecking crane.

"That's a beautiful sound," Rinehart said as the massive ball thudded against stone.

Gretchen Hull, spokeswoman for the Ohio Administrative Services Department, said it was the sound of the city breaking its hours-old purchase agreement, but the state does not plan to retaliate.

Rinehart did not have the state's permission to demolish the one-story prison administration building.

"As the landlord, we would expect to be notified and have the right to approve any kind of permanent changes," Hull said.

David Yost, the mayor's press secretary, said the demolition was stopped shortly after the news conference only to allow for removing asbestos from the basement.

During the interim, he said, administration officials plan to meet with historic preservationists concerned about the demolition.

The agreement with the state gives Columbus the authority to maintain the site, and the demolition is maintenance, Rinehart said. "When this is out of the way, people will be able to see the original entrance for the first time in 80 or 100 years."

The building, which Rinehart called "an ugly dinosaur eyesore," may have been built as early as the 1890s, according to photographs that also show it once looked much better.

State preservation officer W. Ray Luce was nearly speechless.

"My understanding was that, before the city would be doing anything, the city would be doing a survey of the existing buildings," Luce said. "It seems premature to be talking about demolition without knowing what is going to happen there ultimately."

Kay Benton, president of the Columbus Landmarks Foundation, called Rinehart's office yesterday to complain and to ask to meet with officials to discuss the Pen's future. "I would think there would be a more positive way of celebrating our ownership," she said.

If no one else was pleased, Ralph Loewendick was. He and his father - the undisputed local kings of wrecking - coveted for 25 years the 158-year-old Pen as one of the ultimate demolition trophies.

S.G. Loewendick and Sons is donating the current demolition work, which would have cost about $25,000.

The potential exists for more demolition - an estimated $5 million worth - to prepare the 22.5-acre site for a proposed sports arena.

Rinehart said he wants someone to donate chemical cleaning of the remaining four-story stone facade, which he wants preserved.

He said he wants the site cleaned up so it can be used to stage 1992 celebrations.

Before anything more permanent can happen, much needs to be done, including coming up with $5 million to buy the place.

City leaders, in partnership with Franklin County commissioners and business leaders, will be studying potential sources of money both for buying the land and for developing a sports arena.

Rinehart indicated the city might offer nearly 15.5 acres of the site to a private developer in return for building the arena, which would take an estimated 7 acres.

Developer Daniel Galbreath said Columbus is "very fortunate" to have control of such prime land as the old Pen site.

Galbreath is chairman of the Capitol Corp., a coalition of about 30 businesses that provided $20,000 of the $100,000 down payment.