A visiting Centre County judge has ordered the 12^th Ward Civic Association out of its community building, which the group built in the 1950s.
 
Senior Judge Charles Brown’s ruling issued last week brings to an end a two-year-long lawsuit that was originally filed by the association to evict a model railroaders club from the premises. Both groups had been at odds with each other for years, logging numerous complaints that sometimes spilled over to city council. The City of Altoona owns the Mill Run property.
 
Judge Brown ruled that the association abandoned the building when it vacated its first-floor space in 2011. The group had been looking for a new tenant. The ruling cited the abandonment when the association cut off utilities to the structure.
 
The railroader’s group has changed the locks and is planning to utilize the first floor. A representative for the association has not said yet whether the group will appeal the ruling.