Smart idea
After years of talk and half-serious suggestions, Hillsboro has finally bit the bullet:
It's buying the AMPI.
That great hulking behemoth of a building has puzzled newcomers to town. What was that thing used for? And what purpose is it serving now by sitting there empty?
Let's face it: It's kind of an eyesore.
And it's a bad place for an eyesore, because it's a quarter-mile from the U.S. 56 entrance into town, where most visitors and newcomers enter the city limits.
But now, instead of saying "We don't own it," the city can begin to transform that area into something desirable.
City Administrator Steve Garrett is reluctant to speculate what it could be used for — after all, the deal is far from complete.
But the possibilities are endless.
That lot might be a good place for a Hillsboro welcome center. It would be visible and accessible for visitors — maybe a place to pick up maps and brochures.
Or maybe a store might want to construct there. High-traffic Ash would be ideal, and the proximity to the highway would make it easy for customers beyond Marion County to visit.
Star-Journal staffer Cathy Davis once proposed that the building be converted into apartments, possibly for low-income housing units.
Hillsboro residents, you've probably got your own ideas. Feel free to share them here as a letter to the editor.
But no matter what the city eventually does with the new purchase, one thing's clear: It's a good idea.
— JENNIFER WILSON
