Columbiana County JFS hires company to design new building

The commissioners have hired a Youngstown firm to design the building.

STAFF REPORT

LISBON — State Rep. Linda Bolon announced that the State Controlling Board has approved $450,000 for the Columbiana County Department of Job & Family Services’ proposed new administration building.

The building also will house the county’s elections board and the county department of veterans’ services.

The new money will be used to pay an architectural firm to design the 50,000-square-foot building.

The commissioners already have hired MS Consultants of Youngstown to come up with the design.

The county owns the current elections board offices that needs to be repaired. The veterans’ agency now rents space.

The JFS building is a small facility that was meant to be a temporary site in 1976. The building has old wiring, water leaks, and is not readily accessible to the handicapped.

County officials want a new facility in part because the JFS has limited parking for clients on weekdays and the elections board has limited space on election nights. Both are located off village square.

The proposed new site is at the northern limits of the village.

“This design money is a major step toward providing Columbiana County with an administration building that will safely house our county employees and provide our citizens with better services,” said Bolon of Columbiana, D-1st.

Commissioner Jim Hoppel said the county previously had received a $1 million grant toward the work. The county also had received a $247,000 grant from then U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland toward the project. Strickland is now Ohio governor.

After buying the property, the county has about $500,000 left toward the project.

The commissioners are seeking $5 million in federal stimulus money to complete funding for the project.