For Ottawa resident Mattie Perry, Wednesday was a day to celebrate.

Perry and her organization, Friends of Historic Buildings Inc., battled for eight years to ensure the town’s historic middle school at Fifth and South Main streets would remain standing.

“We had a terrible time making it through these eight years,” Perry said. “But the struggle is going to be worth it now. We’re just happy that we could help save the building. It’s going to be great.”

Wednesday the Ottawa school board turned over keys to the old school buildings to a developer. Steve Foutch, who works with Kansas City-based Gastinger, Walker and Harden Architects, purchased the buildings from the school district for $100,000. Foutch also owns Allied Development and co-owns Foutch Construction,

Ottawa Supt. Jan Collins said selling the buildings was a relief. Several times, the school board voted to demolish the buildings, which in 1996 were condemned.

“Hopefully, it will be a very positive addition for the community, and we wish the best of success to Steve Foutch,” Collins said.

Split into north and south buildings, the old Ottawa Middle School is on the national and state historical registers. The south building was built in 1917, and the north was built in 1927.

“The building is in good shape structurally,” Foutch said. “It has a lot of unique characteristics and history to it. It will help once we clean it up and get some lighting. There’s a lot of opportunity for something like this in a small town.”

The buildings need repair. Much of the damage has been the result of vandalism, Foutch said.

The organization Friends of Historic Buildings Inc. in Ottawa battled eight years to ensure the town's old middle school would remain standing. Wednesday, members of the organization were on hand outside the building as the Ottawa school board officially turned over keys to a developer. Steve Foutch, who works with Kansas City-based Gastinger, Walker and Harden Architects, purchased the buildings from the school district for 00,000.

Windows have been broken out. Holes have been put through walls. And pigeons have invaded the building.

“It really hurts to see it like this,” Perry said in a hallway full of broken glass, the wall paint peeling. “I just can’t see why people would do this.”

Foutch plans to put affordable housing for elderly in the south building, which should be available for people to live in next summer.

The Ottawa Suzuki Strings group also plans to be one of the main tenants in the south building, the site of the school’s 500-seat auditorium.

In the north building, Foutch said he planned for loft apartments, which will be sold at market rate, on the second and third floors. A gym with a walking track and lap pool also are part of the plan, he said.

From left, Lela Santarpia, Dorothy Hewitt and Freone Hollinger reminisce in a former classroom during a tour of the old Ottawa Middle School at South Fifth and Main streets. Developer Steve Foutch plans to convert the old buildings into housing units, among other uses.

Foutch and his crew began work on the south building Wednesday. A Dumpster was put in, and water was being pumped out of the basement. Foutch hopes to have a crew put on a new roof later this month.

“We’re just delighted that he is here,” Perry said of Foutch. “We know he’s going to do this right and that this will be a really great place for the community.”