PORTSMOUTH — The Scioto County Commissioners approved funding to move forward with engineering to renovate the first floor of the former Odd Fellows building to house services provided by the OSU Extension Services.
During a Scioto County Commissioners’ regular meeting Thursday, the commissioners approved $14,400 to go toward renovations to the 502 Court Street location. The building, which the county has owned for several years, is expected to offer meeting space for groups, including 4-H programs, a kitchen to provide for safe food programming and house some OSU staff offices at the facility.
“This would really be a huge asset for our office if we could get this space with the renovations,” OSU Extension Office Area Leader Treva Williams said. “This space particularly, the thing that really excites us about this is that it will give us the opportunity to do some programming that we really have been restricted with in the past due to a lack of meeting space to do programs.”
Williams shared with the commissioners that OSU Extension Services would be able to offer more classes to the community with the new space and be able to hold more guests. When OSU Extension Services holds a class or event, they have to find a space within the county that can host it. With the new building that search will be eliminated and classes can be held in the building that will also include a new kitchen.
” We will be able to have groups of about 30 in this space as it has been worked with the architect setting up that part,” Williams said. “By having a kitchen facility, this will tremendously increase our ability to do programming, particularly in the areas of food and nutrition.”
Williams is looking forward to offering to the community more programs once they move into the new space, including food preservation classes, demonstrations, the Cooking Matters program, food safety training, Dining with Diabetes and many other programs and special interest classes.
Commissioner Scottie Powell shared at the meeting that OSU Extension Office will also be moving some offices from their current space to the new building freeing up space at both locations. The new location will also be ADA accessible and will allow for easier evening programming.
“I think this project will be well welcomed by all the 4-H families and the many people you serve,” Powell said.
Commissioner Cathy Coleman also said she was excited for OSU Extension Services to move into the building and hoped it would bring more business to the building and renovations.
“Just by your presents in that building will open up many grants to that building so that we can do more things to that building,” Coleman said.
Both Coleman and Powell voted to approve the funding for the renovations.
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