Geauga County Commissioners approved a letter of intent July 8 to purchase the Geauga Library Administration Center on Ravenwood Drive, with plans to relocate the Chardon Senior Center to the space.
Geauga County Commissioners approved a letter of intent July 8 to purchase the Geauga Library Administration Center on Ravenwood Drive, with plans to relocate the Chardon Senior Center to the space.
Commissioner Jim Dvorak said the library’s administrative operations will eventually move into the new Chardon Library building on Park Avenue, expected to open in 2027. While a final price hasn’t been set, the proposed purchase is listed at $3.2 million.
“We’re very happy with this collaboration. We think this is good for both the county and the library to move forward with our various projects,” said Geauga County Public Library Director Kris Carroll.
Commissioner Carolyn Brakey supported the move, calling it a beneficial transfer of public resources.
“It brings us one step closer to vacating 470 (Center) St. and I think it’s going to make your operations more efficient with your new library building, so it’ll be a win-win for both parties,” said Brakey.
The Chardon Senior Center is currently located at the aging county offices on Center Street. Some departments, including Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), are set to move into new locations this fall.
“I’ve recently toured the current Chardon Senior Center and I think this is going to be a very nice, welcome upgrade for our seniors,” Brakey added.
Geauga County Department on Aging Director Jessica Boalt echoed the support, saying in a July 10 statement the search for a permanent location has taken over five years.
“With renovations, the library building has the potential to serve as an excellent space for recreational, educational and wellness programming designed to meet the evolving needs of our seniors,” she said, thanking both boards. “A permanent, accessible senior center will strengthen our ability to serve older adults in the Chardon area and throughout Geauga County with consistency and quality.”
Courthouse Roof in Need of Future Repairs
In other business, Assistant County Administrator Linda Burhenne updated commissioners on the Geauga County Courthouse roof.
A representative from ThenDesign Architecture briefed commissioners on the state of the courthouse roof earlier in the year.
Roofing work already will be required as part of the ongoing courthouse expansion project to tie the new extension to the old building. However, the old roof is in worse shape than anticipated, the representative told commissioners, and a full replacement likely will be required at some point.
An engineer’s June 13 inspection revealed structural issues worse than expected, Burhenne told commissioners.
There is a dip in the roofline on the west side of the building, likely due to a loss of mortar causing bricks in the wall to resettle, she explained.
“If the existing roof is re-roofed now and (structural) work is not performed, some of that new roof and existing coping would need to be replaced in the future to allow for the removal of the deteriorated elements,” Burhenne said.
Burhenne said she gets the sense this is a project for the future, when commissioners decide to tackle the old courthouse building.
“To throw a couple hundred thousand dollars at a roof where the supporting structure is deteriorated may not be the best option,” she said. “But it seems like the recommendation is most likely going to be to do that as a larger project addressing the entire infrastructure.”
No action was taken.
