PORTSMOUTH—Scioto County Commissioners met on Thursday to discuss agenda items which, in part, addressed progress to public development and Scioto County Courthouse repairs.
Item 9 of the 15-item agenda addressed the lease agreement between the Commissioners and the U.S. Department of the Army for the abutment site recreation area on the Ohio side of the Greenup Locks and Dam. The lease for the park is a 25-year lease which took effect on July 1 of this year.
According to Commissioner Scottie Powell, Commissioners were able to secure $200,000 towards the park from the capital budget and expressed gratitude to Ohio Senators and Representatives.
Commissioners have already received the go-ahead from the Army Corps to prepare the site for development and planning by cutting grass and maintaining the property. The ongoing project has an ultimate goal of accessibility for all individuals at the park, with Commissioners reviewing bids and collaborating with Matt Purcell of the Scioto County Board of Developmental Disabilities for guidance.
The bids currently being reviewed for the park’s development range from about $198,000 to about $350,00, according to Powell. The park would be engineered with full wheelchair accessibility in mind. Powell pledged to update the public regarding the park’s development once more details were available.
Item 14 of the Commissioners’ agenda addressed the ongoing repairs to the Scioto County Courthouse. A contract with Advanced Building Restoration—a construction company out of South Point, Ohio—was announced for the group to begin repair work to the courthouse’s roof.
The contract which totals $291,292 will cover removing and replacing damaged sections of the cornice while also securing the remaining stone. The contracted work will also include power washing the building.
Commissioners expressed gratitude that the company was able to perform the repairs to the historic building and praised Advanced Building Restoration’s experience with historic properties.
“This company travels the country restoring these older, historic buildings. They clearly know what they’re doing. They’ve helped write a lot of the different standards associated with this type of work, so it’s pretty impressive to have a contractor like that so close to the area. I’m excited to see them get started on the project,” Powell said.
Powell thanked Phil LaJoye, manager of the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport, for his involvement on the project. He indicated that according to LaJoye, Advanced Building Restoration was wrapping up a current project within a week or two, and that work on the Scioto County Courthouse should begin shortly thereafter.
The Scioto County Commissioners meet weekly, each Thursday at 9:30 a.m. To view the livestreamed sessions, follow the Scioto County Commissoners’ Facebook page.
