MANSFIELD — Richland County commissioners on Thursday approved a $189,000 design contract that will lead to the renovations to the ground floor of the county administration building, as well as restrooms throughout the 56-year-old structure.
The work, which will be done by Maurer Architectural Design Studio of Mansfield, will lead to expanded and improved spaces for the Richland County Land Bank and the county’s Adult Probation on “L1” of the five-story building.
Preliminary estimated construction costs for the project are $2,386,040, according to county administrator Andrew Keller, who said it will be paid for through the county’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
All of the county’s ARPA funds, awarded in 2021, must be appropriated by the end of 2024 and work done with that money completed by the end of 2026.
“This project is last big piece of the puzzle in terms of our ARPA-funded improvements to the county administration building,” Keller said.
“For folks familiar with those offices, the Land Bank is in need of more space for their public meetings to accommodate larger audiences that have been attending,” he said
“So we’re going to dramatically increase the square footage of the meeting space in the Land Bank office, relative to its current space.
“We’re also going to be moving and increasing the space for county adult probation. Adult probation in Richland County has a reputation for being a very diligent, professional team and they are training every week on that floor,” Keller said.
“This will give them more space, more functionality. The primary object of our improvements has been functionality,” the administrator said.
“We aim to make the building more accessible to the public, (provide) a better customer service experience and maximize efficiency of operations for the offices,” Keller said.
The restrooms have “the original decor dating (back) over 50 years,” he said, adding, “We’re going to provide some cosmetic upgrades to some of the common areas in the building.”
Maurer Architectural Design Studio also designed the renovations nearly complete on “L2,” which will provide new offices for the county Clerk of Courts and is also doing the planning for a new fourth courtroom for the Common Pleas general division judges.
Both “L1” and “L2” were formerly used by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. The first-floor was used for administrative offices, now in the People’s Community Center at 597 Park Ave. East, while “L2” was used for the county jail, now located next to the courthouse.
Engineer Craig Christie said the work will renovate 10,564 square feet in total and will give the Land Bank between 2,100 and 2,600 square feet of space and about 1,100 square feet of training space for adult probation.
Keller said the county intends to have a construction contract signed and in place this year.