'Something we need': Ravenna takes step toward designing new city hall and safety center

Ravenna City Council agreed to hire an architect to start the process of designing Ravenna's next city hall and safety center, the next step toward making the project a reality.

More:Ravenna to purchase old high school site for $315,000 for new city hall, safety center

Council's Planning Committee agreed to hire architect Ted Manfrass to do preliminary planning on the project. Manfrass will be paid $23,900 to serve as the "criteria architect," or technical liaison, for the project, City Engineer Bob Finney said.

Finney said Manfrass will rely on a feasibility study from 2017, when the city looked into the possibility of a new safety building. He also will meet with city officials and develop some cost-effective options for the city. The project then will be bid as a "design build" project where a contractor and architect will team up, further develop Manfrass' plans and construct the facility.

"Contracts of this nature can often be constructed a little bit faster because they are building while they are designing," Finney said.

Finney said construction probably wouldn't start until 2024.

In March, the city purchased the former Ravenna High School property at East Main Street and Clinton Avenue for $315,000.

The site has been vacant for a decade. The Portage County Port Authority, the county's economic development agent, agreed to market the site if the Ravenna School District would tear down the old high school, which became vacant when the new school on North Chestnut Street opened. The demolition took place over a period of months from 2012 to 2013.

Mayor Frank Seman said at the time that the city was in "immediate need" of expanded facilities for its safety forces. That need, he said, became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there wasn't enough space for firefighters to social distance.

Councilman Rob Kairis questioned whether Manfrass' contract would fall under the city's $50,000 limit for competitive bidding when other services were added, but Finney said the city isn't planning to move forward with the other services Manfrass is suggesting.

Councilman Tim Calfee said council has "a slew" of decisions to make about which city employees would work in the new building.

"This is a big project here," he said. "I'm looking forward to broad-based input from all departments. If we do move forward with this, it's going to serve us for the next 50 years. It's going to meet our needs for a long time."

Kairis said he remembers when the 2017 study was done and it was a "pie-in-the-sky" proposal because nobody was thinking about new safety facilities then.

Seman said it is exciting to move forward with the project.

"This is truly something we need," he said. "It's time we move into something more modern."

The city's police station at 220 Park Way was built in 1920. The wing of the safety building that houses the fire department is newer than the rest of the building and the dispatch center was renovated in 2010.

The City Hall building at 210 Park Way originally was a supermarket. It was purchased by the city about 50 years ago.

Meanwhile, Portage County officials have talked about expanding the county courthouse facilities and have eyed the nearby city property.

Kent, Streetsboro also construct new city facilities

The news that Ravenna is considering new facilities for its government and safety forces comes on the heels of two Portage County cities making similar moves.

Kent is constructing a new city hall at the corner of South Water Street and Haymaker Parkway. This week, the city began demolition of its former police station to make way for the new city hall. In recent years, the city has built new stations for its fire and police department.

Streetsboro constructed a new fire station, which opened in 2021, and also built a new police station in recent years. At one time, the fire station was to be part of a city complex project that was to include a new city hall. But more recently, council has talked instead about buying its current facility on Frost Road, which was to be temporary, purchasing a nearby building, and constructing a senior center at the city park.

Seman said Ravenna's fire chief took him to Streetsboro "to see what $5 million would build."

"The unfortunate thing is, $5 million won't get us that building anymore," he said. "But you can't just sit and do nothing."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna hires architect to design safety building, city hall