A group formed to save the 1850 Good Shepherd Catholic Church and 1920s school building will have a public meeting Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. in the Paul Sawyier Public Library.
Around 15 downtown residents, workers and property owners held an organizational meeting Tuesday at the library to discuss the Good Shepherd property " now the number one site for a new $30 million Franklin County Judicial Center.
Until last week, prospects for the judicial center site involved all of the downtown Good Shepherd property except the church building.
But the Rev. Charles Howell, pastor of Good Shepherd Church, acknowledged at masses last weekend the possibility of a sale of all the church's downtown property including the church with its towering steeple.
John Gray, a downtown property owner and preservationist, said Tuesday's meeting was to share information.
"We're wanting to find out what the proposal (regarding the church property) actually is and if it's the right site for the judicial center," Gray said.
"If it is the right site, we want to know what the design will look like."
The group wants to save the church building and the school building from demolition, said Scot Walters, who lives and works downtown. He said he doesn't want to see the old school building torn down for 20 parking spaces.
Walters, who attends all Project Development Board meetings, also was critical of the preliminary drawings " especially the exterior one with a steeple " shown last week by architect Rick Kremer with Louis & Henry Group of Louisville.
"I'm concerned it's going to be one big ugly stepsister trying to slip into Cinderella's slipper," Walters said.
Gray said he doesn't oppose the prospective site next to the courthouse but wants to make sure the "design fits in with the historic character of downtown."