Findlay tug of war breaks out over Lincoln playground

FINDLAY — A procedural tug of war between Mayor Christina Muryn and Auditor Jim Staschiak over work at the old Lincoln School playground, at 200 W. Lincoln St., surfaced at last week's regular council meeting. The two are at odds on whether city crews should continue making improvements while the property remains privately owned. Staschiak said the work should stop until Law Director Robert Feighner Jr. determines whether the city can perform improvements on a site it does not yet own. Muryn disagrees, saying the playground is set to transfer to the city soon. She said city crews have been checking the equipment for rust, removing bushes and debris and preparing the site with mulch to make sure the playground is ready as the weather gets warmer. "I have asked them to continue to prep it with mulch as the neighborhood children should not be penalized because of a delay in getting the detailed legal description," she said. Legislation that will renew the city's rules for lending equipment or labor to another public entity was introduced to council at the meeting. The rules were first approved in 2024, creating a process that requires council authorization and reimbursement. At the April 21 council meeting, Muryn cited the playground work as an example of the type of "lending" the ordinance is meant to address, but Staschiak said the rules do not apply while the property remains privately owned. Trivium Development, a Columbus firm, bought the former Lincoln Elementary School from the Findlay City Schools Board of Education through the Blanchard Valley Port Authority in 2024 for $715,000. Lincoln Elementary School was closed in 2021 as part of Findlay City Schools' realignment of its elementary buildings. The building is more than 100-years-old. Trivium plans to keep the century-old facade intact while renovating the interior for new office, retail and residential uses. City officials have said maintaining the building's appearance is a key part of the redevelopment plan. Council approved a brownfield remediation application for asbestos abatement in December 2025, and updated design plans are expected to return to the Planning Commission as early as June. The playground was originally slated for removal after the school sale, but neighborhood residents asked that it be kept. The developer agreed and has offered to donate the playground to the city. She said the neighborhood's request to keep the playground was part of the Planning Commission's original site-plan discussion. Muryn said maintaining the playground now is in the public interest and will save the city money once the property is formally transferred.