Commissioners discuss potential purchase of First Financial Bank building for county offices

An elected official reported that Blackford County is negotiating to acquire a First Financial Bank building and adjacent parking lot and described the rationale and possible uses for the space.

The speaker said First Financial Bank is building a smaller drive‑through facility on its parking lot and that the county's current municipal building would require substantial repairs — the speaker estimated repairs could cost from about $500,000 to $1 million — and noted the current building is not ADA compliant and lacks an elevator. The official said the bank building under negotiation is in much better condition, about 7,200 square feet, and could house county functions including community corrections, probation, economic development, the community foundation and potentially health services and childcare‑related services.

The speaker said the county is also negotiating to acquire parking lots to the east of the proposed building to provide adequate parking. The official said the purchase negotiations are ongoing and that the county is attempting to obtain the property at a low price; the speaker said no final decision had been made about the existing county building.

Why it matters: acquiring a nearby building could consolidate county services, address accessibility shortcomings in the current county facility, and affect county real estate and operating costs.

Next steps: the speaker said negotiations were underway and no final sale or funding decision had been recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. Commissioners did not record a final vote or financing authorization in the supplied remarks.