A new City Hall? What to know about Barberton's pursuit of FirstMerit building
Barberton has identified a building for a new City Hall.
Located on West Tuscarawas on the fringe of downtown, the three-story structure is known to most residents as the FirstMerit Building.
In its most recent meeting, City Council approved plans to buy the building, authorizing Mayor William Judge to enter a purchase agreement with an estimated price tag of $865,000.
The city has considered plans for a new administrative center for years, and shares space at its current location on Park Avenue with Barberton Municipal Court and the police and law departments.
If the purchase and redevelopment plans go forward, the city won't have a need for a new justice center because the court and police department will remain on Park Avenue.
FirstMerit Building comes with advantages, officials say
The building comes with an existing drive-thru. In interviews about the building, both Judge and Councilman Thomas Heitic, chairman of council's Finance and Personnel Committee, noted the utility of that feature.
The drive-thru would benefit both residents and businesses, they said.
"If (contractors) need to pull permits, they should be able to go right to the drive-thru," Judge said.
Residents, likewise, will be able to make utility payments without getting out of the car, both men said.
The building, constructed in 1979, served as a FirstMerit branch until 2012, when the Akron-based bank closed it in a cost-cutting move. In 2016, FirstMerit was acquired by Columbus-based Huntington Bank.
Converting the building less costly than new structures
Judge said a renovated FirstMerit Building, currently owned by a Wadsworth partnership, would be far less costly than previous proposals.
"You're looking, with a new building with a jail, probably $50 million," he said.
He said the FirstMerit Building route would save "millions," but declined to give specific figures because renovation estimates are "very rough" at this stage.
More than a year down the road
Judge said if plans proceed as anticipated, the process be will be public and come with several ordinances along the way.
"We've been moving at a fairly good pace, (but) there are a lot of steps between now and moving into the building," he said.
The most basic steps include acquisition of the property and renovation.
"(There is) a lot more legislation that's got to go before council before it's all said and done," he said.
Benefits beyond more modern City Hall
Heitic said the move would give the court and police department room in the current administrative building that's in short supply.
"With the courts and city offices using that same small building, it's cramped enough there's not room to do the updates that need doing," he said.
In addition, that side of downtown could see new attention, Heitic said.
"It could be the catalyst to help revitalize a lot of downtown," he said.
About 60 to 70 employees would be located in the building, Judge said.
"We've gotten bipartisan support of local officials," Judge said of the FirstMerit Building proposal.
That includes the court and, so far, City Council.
Barberton Municipal Court Judge Todd McKenney "has been such a blessing in this whole thing," Heitic said. "This is a long time in the coming."
Council meetings would be held at the new City Hall.
"It's huge," Heitic said. "It's huge for the city."
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Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Barberton to buy old FirstMerit building for administrative center
