Knights selling Wolfe Building, KC Hall
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 3:42 pm
The Knights of Columbus Tihen Council 1717 is selling the Wolfe Building at Fourth and E streets that the council has owned for 47 years, but the organization will still be here to help the community, said Grand Knight John Pachta.On Tuesday, Pachta said the council recently made the decision to sell the building that has been a focal point of countless community and family events over the years.
"We aren't giving up and we aren't going away," Pachta said. "The decision is made, it is for sale."
Pachta said that city officials had toured the building in recent months but did not consider it as a site for a new city office building. Pachta was not present for the City Council meeting on Oct. 14, when the building was proposed as a potential city facility.
He said the only thing changing with the Knights is the ownership of a building.
"I want to make it clear that the Knights of Columbus are not going out of existence," Pachta said.
Two years ago the last office tenant moved out of the building, and the Knights got out of the apartment rental business before then. Pachta said the development of more ground-level apartments around town changed the housing situation. Maintaining the building no longer matches the Knights' mission, he said.
"The mission of the Knights is to help the poor and help the community," Pachta said. "To do the good things. We get bogged down in keeping a building going instead of doing what we need to do."
The Knights are still renting out the KC Hall for community and family events. The council has not decided on any future plans for KC facilities.
"We would like to have another building, but not as massive, some day," Pachta said. "We made a decision to get off dead center."
Pachta said the building is listed with Kobza Auction and Realty. He said anyone with questions about the property may contact Bob Kobza for information.
