TRUMBULL HEALTH BOARD Ailing structure cured of mold, leaking roof

Workers had to put buckets on desks when it rained.
By AMANDA GARRETT
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- County officials and well-wishers celebrated the Trumbull County Health Board's $256,600 renovation at an open house Friday.
Cake, punch and hot wings were served at the health board, located at 176 Chestnut Ave. N.E., to mark the end of the yearlong renovation.
The building had a roof-to-basement renovation, Health Commissioner Dr. James Enyeart said.
The basement was gutted and refurbished because of black mold, and workers replaced the leaky roof and windows. Also, the wood paneling was removed and replaced by drywall, and a new heating and air conditioning system was installed.
Outside, ramps were added to make the building handicapped-accessible, and additional handicapped parking was added to the lot.
"We're in an ideal place to help the neighborhood," Enyeart said. "With the new renovations we can reach out to the community around us."
Cheaper than moving
Renovating the new building was more cost-effective than leasing new space for the health board, county Commissioner Daniel E. Polivka said.
At one point, the county considered leasing a new structure because of the poor condition of the building.
However, the building was found to be structurally sound, and it would have cost $785,000 over 10 years to lease a building, Polivka said.
The county saved $356,520 by renovating the existing structure, according to a cost analysis done by the county.
"It's not the Taj Mahal, but it's a nice, clean place that our citizens can come to," Polivka said.
The county is paying for the work with a loan in the form of a bond.
The general contractor on the project was D.J. Porter Co. of Youngstown, but county and city employees helped out with the project, Polivka said.
Environmental Health Services department employees, who are on the second floor, are glad to have a cool, dry place to work, Director Frank J. Migliozzi said.
"It will be good not to get rained on," Migliozzi said of the constantly leaking roof. "We had to remove people from their work stations and put buckets on their desks to catch the water."
The health board offices stayed in the building over the course of the yearlong construction project.
"It wasn't too inconvenient," Public Health Nurse Judi Infante said about the construction process. "They did the work in stages and they worked around us very nicely."
agarrett@vindy.com