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Old Ridges Building To Stand Until November


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A historic building at a former mental hospital in Athens will stand a while longer after Ohio University leaders decided to postpone its demolition.

Building 26 at The Ridges was slated to be razed by Halloween.
 
The structure once housed a school and before that, served as the tuberculosis ward for the Athens Lunatic Asylum.
 
It has been vacant for more than a decade.
 
The demolition has been delayed until mid November. 
 
A university spokeswoman wouldn't say what caused the delay, but did say that they are still working on an "aggressive time schedule" to raze the building as soon as possible. 
 
"The demolition of the Old Beacon School is part of the University's Capital Improvement Plan. The planned start time for demolition is the end of October and the work will likely take 8 to 10 weeks. The project is going through final plan review and standard institutional approvals prior to its initiation,” said Renea Morris, executive director of Communications and Marketing for OU.
 
The building has served as a point of attraction for many Athens residents and visitors due to its history, however, the property has been plagued with both trespassers and vandals over the years.