Q&A WITH ANDREW KALNOW
Q: One of the Commissioners has evidently stated that there will be sufficient green space in front of a new justice center built on the town green (the old courthouse lawn). What is your assessment of that?
A: Perhaps “sufficient” is subjective. However, I think it is clear that not only the quantity of green space remaining on the old square is substantially less under the NCOR-cogs study, but the whole character of the green space is totally changed to the worse…. There is not really enough green space in one area to make it inviting and enjoyable for people to congregate for activities. Also, importantly, downtown Tiffin will look totally different. The proposed justice center building will not only consume the majority of the space, but it will block the spectacular 360 degree sightlines to the historical building facades that surround the old courthouse square. This gives downtown Tiffin a special, if not unique, character as one of the Midwest’s most attractive county seats from a downtown beauty standpoint.