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Stark County weighs armory purchase for sheriff's offices; special meeting set to clarify terms and inspections
Summary
Commissioners discussed acquiring a former National Guard armory for the sheriff's office, debated separating land from the building in the purchase agreement and agreed to schedule a special meeting May 19 to decide whether to pay for environmental and structural inspections.
The Stark County Commission debated whether to proceed with buying a former armory and how to divide the city's original purchase offer between land and building, ultimately scheduling a special meeting to decide next steps.
Chair (speaking as the county's presiding officer) said the county has taken contractors, an architect and a construction manager through the building and "there hasn't been anything that has jumped out at us" from the preliminary reviews, but that paid inspections would be the next prudent step before committing county funds. The chair estimated rough renovation costs using contractor estimates of $150 to $200 per square foot and said, "Even if you go to the high number, we're sitting at about 1,600,000 for rehab plus [acquisition], we'd be at 2,250,000 for that particular facility." The chair said those numbers are preliminary and recommended separating the land from the building in any renegotiated purchase.
Commissioners and the sheriff stressed uncertainty about unknown conditions in the building. Sheriff Mr. Lee, who had toured the property, said the building's "bones" could make it usable for county needs but cautioned "we don't know what we don't know," endorsing inspections before further commitments.
Commissioners discussed environmental concerns documented in a prior National Guard assessment. The chair said the dominant environmental issue identified was lead contamination near the former shooting range; remediation would likely require removal of affected floor materials and standard measures contractors expect during a typical midlife remodel of a 50-year-old building. Commissioners noted possible asbestos in some areas but characterized those concerns as manageable subject to formal testing and contractor estimates.
The commission agreed it would be premature to spend about $25,000 for in-depth inspections unless the board could reach agreement with the city on segregating land and building costs. The board set a special meeting for May 19 at 08:00 to focus on the purchase agreement and determine whether to authorize inspections.
The item remains a discussion point; no purchase was executed and no inspection contract was signed at the meeting.
