Fixing up old school

ROSSVILLE -- Randy Bohanon said he's been approached by everyone from alumni groups to bluegrass pickers about using the old Rossville Middle School, but he can't have any events there until he patches a few leaks and finishes his paperwork.

Mr. Bohanon and his brother, Donald, bought the 124,000-square-foot building and its seven surrounding acres for $77,000 in November. The building off of Flegal Avenue housed Rossville High School and then Rossville Middle School before its students were moved to Bryan Street.

Most of the people who call him want to use the auditorium, said Mr. Bohanon, a 1972 graduate of the high school. "That's what they're after."

His current plan calls for renting the 551-seat auditorium out for community events such as concerts and plays. He will try to rent out the classrooms as office space, but he said Friday he also would put locks on the doors and rent them out for storage.

Mr. Bohanon said all his plans are in the early stages because he didn't have any ideas nailed down when he bought the building.

In fact, he said, he didn't even go into the auction expecting to buy the building.

"After I bought it I said, man, I bet we can have some fun with it," he said.

It's an interesting move for Mr. Bohanon, who described himself as "not the most popular kid in school."

"I was just someone going to school," he said. "I would have never dreamed I would be buying Rossville High School."

Donald Bohanon, who graduated in 1979, said the building is in good shape and needs only some paint, carpet and a few small patches on the roof.

Rossville Vice Mayor Teddy Harris said reopening the building would be well received in the community, but the utilities are a major challenge. The old school has one electrical meter, which means it would be difficult to monitor tenants' energy use, he said.

"There's a lot of interest in this," Mr. Harris said. "I guess he's going to have to figure out exactly what he wants to do with it."