Muskingum conservancy district considers moving headquarters to technology park location
NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) is in the process of planning a new headquarters building to consolidate all of its operations at one location.
The conservancy district is looking at a piece of property on a hill on Tech Park Drive NE in the Tuscarawas Regional Technology Park in New Philadelphia, near Buckeye Career Center and Kent State University at Tuscarawas.
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Currently, its main office, opened in 1939, is at 1319 Third St. NW in New Philadelphia, and it has a main office annex at 2050 Reiser Ave. SE in New Philadelphia.
"What we need to do is all come back together," said Craig Butler, the MWCD's executive director. "We've got the two buildings. We tried to design an extension on the original building, and it just wouldn't work. There's just not enough space for the heavy equipment. We can't bring that in. We looked at quite a few locations, but this one fits. It'll be a nice location up on top of the hill."
The project has been approved by the conservancy district's board of directors, he said. It's under design, and the MWCD is doing technical work at the proposed site. If everything works out, the agency will purchase the property. Construction would start next year.
The cost to design the structure is estimated at around $1.2 million.
The current buildings will likely be sold once the project is completed, Butler said. The MWCD is doing an assessment on them.
'I think it's a great spot'
Once the new headquarters is built, it will be made available as a training center for local people, said David Lautenschleger, chief of engineering.
Butler said it will be good for the MWCD to be close to the career center and Kent State. Currently, the conservancy district has a program with Buckeye where the MWCD pays for people to go through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA). It has been difficult for the conservancy district to hire rangers, though he noted that people taking the training are not required to work for the agency.
He said there also would be an opportunity for the MWCD to work with Kent State on environmental programs.
"I think it's a great spot," Butler said of the new location. "It's a whole campus getting developed in that area. We see some real synergy. Our board has asked us in this design to say, how do we invite the community in, whether it's a walking trail around it or training centers or some space that they can come and use to hold conferences."
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District planning new headquarters
