MANSFIELD — The clock is ticking on about $3.5 million in planned improvements to the Mansfield Municipal Building.
Literally.
The work will be funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds, a request from former Mayor Tim Theaker that City Council approved more than two years ago.
Money funded by ARPA must be appropriated by the end of 2024 and all funds spent by the end of 2026.
The city received $10.4 million in federal ARPA funding in 2021 and another $10.4 million in 2022. Most of it has been allocated and spent.
The mayor said the nine-story city building has not been renovated since its construction a half-century ago — and the foundation is crumbling in places.
“If we don’t do something, I don’t want to be in the building when it collapses,” Theaker said in April 2022. “That’s something that we have to start now because this is something that is definitely needed.
“If we don’t address it and fix this building up, it’s going to fall apart,” Theaker said.
The problem has been the costs associated for the proposed projects have far outstripped the funds available. In February of 2023, council approved a $78,000 contract with Richland Engineering for preliminary architectural and engineering work on a list of potential improvements.
“We don’t know the exact cost of each of these elements,” city engineer Bob Bianchi told council. “This contract we’re going to enter into will help us identify further the cost and the scope of work for each element.”
Armed with that list, the city sought bids. But in June, city engineer Bob Bianchi told the city’s Board of Control that the only bid for improvements to the municipal building came in well above estimates.
The Adena Corp. submitted a bid of $4.9 million for the work estimated would cost $3.5 million, which likely means parts of the project will need to be removed and the project rebid.
After the Board of Control meeting three months ago, the city engineer listed some of the proposed municipal building improvements that include a retaining wall on the east side, a mezzanine, windows, a sanitary sewer system to serve floors 4-9, renovations to city council chambers and foundation work on the west side.
City Council on Tuesday approved legislation authorizing now-Mayor Jodie Perry’s administration to seek new bids, including alternate bids for projects that can be removed from the project list.
“We have got to go back to the drawing board because all the bids came in too high,” she said after the council meeting.
“Council tonight authorized a rebidding process. If bids come in within the budget that’s been appropriated, we can move forward (through the Board of Control).”
Bianchi said Tuesday he will meet with Perry on Wednesday to determine the next steps for the planned improvements in terms of determining which projects to complete.
In other action on Tuesday, City Council:
— delayed a vote repealing a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in the city until Perry’s administration finalized zoning regulations for recreational/medical dispensaries in the city.
— approved a resolution honoring Capt. Douglas Bruce, who recently retired after more than 28 years of service with the Mansfield Fire Department. Bruce began as a firefighter in Crestline in 1991 and moved to the MFD in 1995. He served in a variety of positions, including training/safety officer to senior officer on the apparatus building committee. He was the station captain at Station 6 when he retired.
— voted to accept a $75,000 donation from the Coca-Cola Consolidated Foundation to pay for the new basketball court at Liberty Park.
— approved rezoning 10 acres of the Walker Lake Condos area at North Home Road and Spring Vallage Lane, changing it to planned urban development from its current multi-family status. The city Planning Commission voted to recommend the change. Realtor Jerry Holden plans to build duplexes at the site. He will provide public street, water and sewer along with other essential public needs, according to the planning commission.
— approved vacating a portion of Princeton Street between Grasmere Avenue and Harvard Avenue, as well as an unnamed alley in the area.
— approved rezoning four parcels around 552 Oak St. to limited impact industrial district from its current multi-family classification. The city Planning Commission voted to recommend the change, needed for a planned expansion by Osgar’s Auto Body.
— approved an agreement with the Richland County Board of Commissioners to share in building department services.
— approved a $300,000 contract with Midstates Recreation to playground equipment at the Sterkel Community Park for All.
— approved a $10,000 payment to Jacobs Excavating for work done on the Liberty Park baseball field prior to submission of a purchase order.
— voted to accept an $80,000 grant from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to assist with the drug abuse response team.
— approved spending, under state contract pricing, $117,679 for a compact excavator for the sewer repair department.
— voted to approve allowing the public works director to seek bids for road salt.
— voted to add a laborer position to the Clearfork Reservoir division and an equipment operator in the parks and recreation division.
