Sandusky County gets $2.5 million for capital improvement projects

Daniel Carson, Fremont News-Messenger
·4 min read
Sandusky County Park District received $250,000 in state capital improvement funding for the Rotary Lodge at River Cliff project.
Sandusky County Park District received $250,000 in state capital improvement funding for the Rotary Lodge at River Cliff project.

FREMONT — Terra State Community College, the downtown Fremont amphitheater and Gibsonburg's plan to convert an old gas station into a new park got welcome financial boosts this week, as the state's capital budget provided more than $2.5 million in funding for five Sandusky County projects.

Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, announced the county's funding awards Wednesday.

Terra State garnered the most local funding from the capital budget, with the college awarded $1.3 million for general improvement projects.

Fremont was awarded $600,000 to be used to revitalize four acres in the city's downtown area for a new amphitheater.

Fremont was awarded $600,000 in state capital funding to be used to revitalize four acres in the city's downtown area for a new amphitheater. That project is expected to cost at least $2.2 million.
Fremont was awarded $600,000 in state capital funding to be used to revitalize four acres in the city's downtown area for a new amphitheater. That project is expected to cost at least $2.2 million.

Cory Stine, Terra State's senior vice president of innovation and strategic planning, said Thursday the college's $1.3 million in funding would go toward IT infrastructure enhancements and roof repairs on the Engineering Technologies building.

State funds give boost to amphitheater project

Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez said the city and Fremont Rotary Club were excited to find out about the state funding for the amphitheater project.

"The goal of this project was to get this project grant funded," Sanchez said.

Sanchez said the city had submitted a capital funding request for $900,000 to the state.

With the state's funding, plus a $1.6 million federal grant announced in March for the project and $250,000 raised by Fremont Rotary, Sanchez said the project would be at least 95% funded by grants and donations.

The mayor said the city would cut things back, project-wise, if the amphitheater costs more than expected.

Sanchez thanked Click and Ohio Sen. Bill Reineke, R-Tiffin, for supporting the project and promoting its inclusion in the state capital budget.

He said city had submitted a request for quotes (RFQ) from engineering design firms and should select a firm next week.

Sanchez said the Fremont amphitheater is scheduled for completion by September 2023.

Fremont economic development director Bob Gross previously said the amphitheater project's original cost was pegged to be around $2.2 million, based on estimates made in the spring of 2021.

Gross said city officials expected to add at least 20% to that estimate, due to inflation and supply chain issues.

The county's additional local projects to receive capital funding included:

•    $250,000 for paving projects and gate additions at Chudzinski Johansen Conservancy Park.

•    $250,000 for general updates at the Rotary Lodge at River Cliff Park renovation.

•    $150,0000 to convert an abandoned gas station into Gibsonburg Logyard Park.

Marc Glotzbecker, Gibsonburg's village administrator, said the village has demolished an old gas station at the Logyard Park site and rehabbed the property.

Gibsonburg's Logyard Park project received $150,000 in state capital improvement funding this week. Mayor Steve Fought stands in front of a former Sunoco gas station/convenience store space in downtown Gibsonburg, which sat vacant for at least a decade until the village finally purchased the property in 2019 and tore down the building in March. The village plans to redevelop the formerly blighted space into a downtown park, with a covered structure and patio area, and use it to spur economic growth downtown.

A former Sunoco gas station and convenience store occupied the space, sitting vacant for at least a decade until the village finally purchased the property in 2019 and tore down the building in March.

The village plans to redevelop the formerly blighted space into a downtown park, with a covered structure and patio area, and use it to spur economic growth downtown.

"With these dollars, we can continue with our plan to make this into a downtown park area," Glotzbecker said.

Glotzbecker said there will be some drainage work and catch basins installed at the site this summer.

By June 2023, the park should be close to completion, Glotzbecker said.

The Rotary Lodge at River Cliff Park project

Sandusky County Park District Director Andrew Brown said the park district had never been the recipient of state capital funding prior to this week.

"The idea we got $250,000 to do a project like this is fantastic," Brown said.

The park district has already spent $350,000 on renovations at the park's lodge and moved its offices to the Ballville Township site.

With a proposed $1.5 million project to turn the lodge into a community gathering space, the park district, Fremont Rotary Club and city and county officials are leading the push to raise money and let residents know about the project's scope.

Brown said Rotary and the park district would continue to move forward with fundraising for the River Cliff project.

He said the Sandusky County Park District also was awarded a $41,815 Ohio Department of Natural Resources Paddling Enhancement grant this week for construction of a small non-motorized boat ramp, sidewalk, lighting, and concrete pad at the River Cliff Boat Ramp on the Sandusky River.

The park district will likely start work on the ramp in early 2023, Brown said.

dacarson@gannett.com

419-334-1046

Twitter: @DanielCarson7

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Fremont, Terra State get big chunks of state funding for projects