A Middletown church has sold its building, and the pastor believes Central Connections, the city’s senior citizens center, is the perfect location to move the congregation and take over operations.
Pastor Scott Johnson from Crosspointe Church of Christ addressed City Council last week during his four-minute citizens’ comment portion of the meeting.
Church services will be held at Crosspointe until the end of May, he told the Journal-News after his presentation. He said it would be “a no-brainer” if the city of Middletown sold Central Connections, 3907 Central Ave., to the church and allowed it to preserve the senior center and partner with a non-profit to operate the 600-seat event center.
He described a possible partnership as “a true victory for our senior citizens.”
Johnson said the church’s elders have not discussed a purchase price of Central Connections, which has a $2.15 million appraised value for its land and building, according to the Butler County Auditor’s Office.
Last year the city purchased Central Connections for $1.8 million with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the Middletown Area Senior Citizens Inc., and Johnson believes the city could recoup its investment in five years.