Other sources of payment may be coming from the county’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, dollars (more than $20 million over two years) and county reserves built up to $32 million over the years in the general fund.
The last large project was the two-phase Miami County Courthouse Plaza renovations, which cost $3.6 million and was paid for out of county reserves.
Commission President Ted Mercer said it was important to note that the county would be borrowing money to help fund and move forward projects. However, Mercer added, “We won’t have to go out and ask taxpayers for more money.”
The commissioners reviewed projects, numbers and possible funding sources but Mercer asked for continuation of the financing options discussion until early May to allow time to obtain better numbers for some potential projects.
The work, however, will move forward on several projects, commissioners said.
“We are tired of Band-Aiding and duct-taping. If we would have done things over a period of time instead of just look the other way ... We are not doing that anymore,” said Mercer.
Details of upcoming projects were outlined briefly with commissioners reviewing probable cost summaries on two major projects – the One Stop Shop for motor vehicles and a new fairgrounds/agriculture administration building. Probable costs for each project were listed at more than $7 million. The numbers at this point “probably are worse case,” said Chris Johnson, county facilities and operations director.
The One Stop Shop, which may be named the Commerce Center, is being built on land the county bought a couple of years ago off Ohio 55 and Barnhart Road on Troy’s west side. Bids on the building will be opened May 10 following plan review with App Architects earlier this month.
The commission is in the process of hiring a company to design the new fairgrounds building that would replace the aging Secretary’s Office and include space for other ag-related agencies such as The Ohio State University Extension Office and the Farm Bureau, among others.
The county would own both the One Stop Center and the new fairgrounds building and receive lease income from tenants.
Also planned at the Fairgrounds are infrastructure improvements that would total more than $4 million if everything listed on an analysis were addressed. Plans do not include all of the infrastructure work.
Also at the Fairgrounds is needed work on the more than 100-year-old grandstand, which underwent some structural repairs before last year’s fair. Consultants from WDG Group of Springfield last week their analysis of the structure and needed work with an estimated cost of $2.4 million plus a series of possible alternate projects with an estimated $900,000 cost.
A new grandstand “would be more expensive ... by quite a bit,” said consultant Chris Widener.
Among other projects in the works or in discussions are improvements to the interior of the 1880s courthouse, a remodeled commission hearing room/offices and remodeled space in the Hobart Center for County Government for a new home for the Board of Elections.
A much longer-term project had initial discussions recently with the commissioners hearing from jail consultants about the future of the aging county Jail in downtown Troy and the more than 20-year-old Incarceration Facility north of Troy. Commissioners said they would be looking to contract for a jail needs assessment in coming months.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
About the Author