MOUNT VERNON — With its pledge of $2 million, the Ariel Foundation has covered more than half of the $3.8 million needed to renovate the former Central School building on East Chestnut Street.
“As we looked for potential partners, we heard from the Ariel Foundation that they had heard from the Veterans Service Office,” said Jason Booth, county administrator. “We met with the veterans [office] and talked with Ariel Foundation, and they are willing to commit $2 million toward this project.”
“The feasibility study showed it was a very solid building, and we don’t want to take it down,” said Commissioner Teresa Bemiller via a telephone conference call. “This seems like this would be a good use for it, and we’d have a partner. Without that, there’s no way we could move forward. These public-private partnerships have been very good.”
“When you have an offer like that, how can you say no?” said Commissioner Roger Reed. “They have been very generous to this community.”
The VSO was in preliminary discussions with Ariel Foundation because its location on Pittsburgh Avenue is not easily identified or accessible to those walking or taking Knox Area Transit.
“So they had between the two of them been looking for a location in proximity to KAT. Ariel really liked improving the visibility, accessibility, and safety of the VSO,” said Booth, adding that the foundation also likes to see buildings rehabbed and used.
Booth said the county is exploring ways to come up with the $1.8 million needed to cover the remaining renovation costs. One way is through a private internal loan so that all of the interest comes back to the county.
Commissioner Thom Collier said that the County Commissioners Association of Ohio has talked with gubernatorial candidates Richard Cordray (D) and Mike DeWine (R) about the state doing away with local government funds and assuming responsibility for funding two state functions: elections and the public defender’s office. If those things happen, there will potentially be some income to put toward the county’s share of renovation costs.
The VSO pays around $30,000 a year in rent and utilities at its current location. If it moves into Central School, Collier said the organization will cover utilities but will not pay rent.
The VSO is interested in the first floor of the 14,408-square-foot building. The Board of Elections is interested in the ground floor and second floor.
Booth said the BOE is intrigued with using the ground level for early voting, and on Election Day, using it as a polling place, thus eliminating another polling location. There is ample parking in back of the school, and the ground-level entry is handicapped accessible.
Citing issues with service center elevators, parking, and the stairs into the service center, Collier said, “It certainly would make voting a lot easier, and they would have room for storage.”
Booth said the Ariel Foundation also likes the idea of some of the building being used as community space. One possibility is a joint-use conference room that organizations could use. After architects meet with the VSO and BOE to determine their needs, there may also be enough room for a private third entity to locate in the building.
On Tuesday, Collier and Reed voted to request bids for architectural services for full-scale designs. Bemiller could not vote because she was not present, but she supported the bid request. Booth said that if the commissioners decide to proceed after receiving the bids, the renovations would make a good winter project because the majority of the project is indoor work.
The estimated $3.8 million cost includes redoing the parking lot; a new roof; HVAC, plumbing, and electrical; furniture; and construction, permit, and contingency fees.
