Sandusky city commission will vote later today whether to build rec center
Buying City Hall also on agenda for meeting at 5 p.m.
SANDUSKY — City commission could give a final go-ahead for construction of a $10.4 million recreation center at the former American Crayon factory property on Hayes Avenue near the railroad overpass.
Item No. 5 on the commission agenda seeks approval to award a contract for a recreation center project to Janotta & Herner. The value of the design-build contract is $10.4 million to be paid for with Capital Projects Funds that “will require future debt issuance to finance the project.”
It’s a one-time lot and needs at least five “yes” votes from among the seven commissioners to be approved. If that happens there will be no turning back: After more than three decades of community questions about if a rec center was needed or whether the city could afford to build one, construction could get underway next year.
The other big vote on the agenda for city commission later today is a purchase agreement to buy City Hall for $3.5 million. Three formerly vacant buildings in the second block of Columbus Avenue near Washington Row were redeveloped as residential, retail and administrative spaces for the news City Hall in 2018 by Marous Brothers Construction.