WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- The future of a once-popular local tea house is up in the air.
For 40 years, the Kyoto Tea House on State Street in Westerville served customers. But now, even supporters of the business want the empty building torn down.
In its day, the Japanese tea house was a landmark and cultural classroom to many schools. Now, after years of neglect, it has lost much of its heritage.
"It's just in a great state of neglect and disrepair. There is raccoons and possum living in the eaves and coming in and out all the time," said an area resident.
The tea room was built in the 1950s by an Army GI named George Henderson. He fell in love with the Japanese culture -- where he served.
He returned to Westerville and turned his 1910 home into a tea room.
The property has been passed to different owners since then and now sits in shambles.
Local business owner Patrick Ayotte, said he feels it has become an eyesore.
"It was a really neat thing for Westerville, but it takes a lot of time and energy to keep something like that up, so unfortunately, it has gotten run down and it's probably time that it be torn down," Ayotte said.
Westerville Vice Mayor Anne Gonzales said the city is not in the habit of tearing down buildings, but said the building's structure integrity is just too unsafe to do anything else with it.
"A lot of parents have concerns with their children walking home from school down this street and seeing vagrants inside," Gonzales said.
The city said it hopes to acquire the property and find a developer with a project that fits the uptown feel of Westerville.
Part of the Kyoto Tea House will be passed on. A mosaic tile mural of Mount Fuji from one of the walls will be used as either part of a new structure that might be built or it will be displayed where the community can enjoy it.
For additional information, stay with nbc4i.com and NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail us at stories@nbc4i.com.
NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video
MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News
NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement