Residents will get their first — or second — look inside Russell Township’s long-awaited community room Nov. 15 during an open house featuring state Sen. Sandra O’Brien — who made the $1.2 million project possible through grant funding.
Residents will get their first — or second — look inside Russell Township’s long-awaited community room Nov. 15 during an open house featuring state Sen. Sandra O’Brien — who made the $1.2 million project possible through grant funding.
O’Brien (R-Ashtabula) assisted the township in garnering a $370,905 One-Time Strategic Community Investments grant last year, Fiscal Officer Karen Walder said at the first trustees meeting in the space Aug 7.
“(The) grant enabled the completion of this building and other important capital projects for the township,” Walder said in August.
She also expressed gratitude to Trustee Kristina Port and former Trustee Matt Rambo for acting as liaisons for the township and builder during construction, and thanked architect Strollo, of Youngstown, and the builder, ACM Construction Management, of Cleveland.
The community room, located south of the township administration building, at 8501 Kinsman Road, will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 15 for conversation, refreshments and “a good look-around,” township administrator Melissa Palmer said.
Currently, the space is being used for town hall meetings and an event rental space for residents.
The space was originally slated to open September 2024, however, its opening kept getting postponed due to last-minute sound issues, including echoing.
The township hired Thomas Ryan, an acoustic engineer from Maryland-based Technological Design Studios, to install baffling in the ceiling and walls to improve sound quality.
Additional last-minute hurdles for the nearly $1.2 million project included getting electricity running in the building, testing the fire suppression system and installing the alarm system.
“Please feel welcome to see Russell Township’s new facility for yourself during the open house,” Palmer said.
