MOUNT VERNON — Knox County Land Bank officials expect construction on the former Mount Vernon News building at 18 E. Vine St. to start this fall.
Land Bank Vice President Sam Filkins said construction documents are finished, and the general contractor sent out bids for subcontractors.
The bids are due on May 15.
“We did a walk-through [last] week. We had about 40 contractors come through the building,” Filkins said.
Filkins said the land bank and general contractor worked hard to notify local contractors of the project.
“We’d love to have as much local as possible,” he said.
Crews will work on the lower floor of the building, which is Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s academic hub for its engineering and computer science programs.
They will also work on the building envelope and perform basic work, such as lighting on the main floor.
Filkins said the land bank submitted building permits to the state.
“We anticipate that will take six weeks, then we’ll go back and forth on items we want to contest,” he explained. “So we’re looking at starting the first of September.
“The plan is to get the facade done this fall so that it’s all buttoned up for the winter, and then work on the inside.”
CK Construction is the contractor-at-risk for the project. Contractor-at-risk means CK participates in the design phase.
Because the company participates in the design, the final price is agreed to in advance. The company cannot charge for cost overruns.
Morrow County Port Authority
The land bank is working with the Morrow County Port Authority to get an exemption on building materials for the Mount Vernon News building project.
A port authority is a tool for promoting economic development. One benefit is the ability to grant a developer a sales tax exemption.
“It’s an economic tool that increases affordability [to do a project,]” Land Bank President Jeff Gottke said.
The Knox County commissioners signed an agreement with Morrow County last week. The county previously worked with the Franklin County Port Authority on the Danbury Senior Living Center project.
Under the agreement, the company pays a fee to the port authority. The fee is a percentage of the anticipated sales tax and varies between port authorities.
The port authority retains a percentage of the fee and then shares a portion with the county where the project occurs.
“The reason why we don’t have one is the amount of work involved,” Gottke explained. “We can go to any port authority in the state.”
The Economic Growth Strategy Report the Area Development Foundation commissioned last year recommended Knox County create a port authority.
Commissioner Teresa Bemiller said it might be something the county looks at in the future.
“I think as we go through our comprehensive plan there will probably be recommendations regarding that,” she said.
Miscellaneous
The land bank sold two properties last month.
A neighbor bought the parcel at 11299 Lower Green Valley Road for $50,000. The plan is to build a new house on the lot.
Schlabach Builders bought 80 Miller St. in Centerburg, the site of the former Canterbury Villa care facility, for $80,000. The company plans to build single-family homes on the property but has not yet filed for permits with the Village of Centerburg.
More Apple Valley lots also sold last month. Sale prices ranged from $13,000 to $26,000. About half of the 87 parcels are sold; six more are scheduled for a late-May auction.
The state has not announced the recipients of the Welcome Home Ohio and Vibrant Communities grants. The land bank applied for both in conjunction with the News building.
Filkins attended the Ohio Land Bank Association Conference. As a result of networking, plans are in the works for Mount Vernon to host a rural land bank conference in the fall. Filkins expects the conference to draw 100 to 150 people.
