Part of the weekly business of the three county commissioners is managing the county’s facilities, and they reviewed the startup of a few big projects recently.
Brad Cosenza is the County Administrator and is the commissioners’ right-hand-man in several departments. I chatted with him about two capital improvement projects and others on November 25th.
A major renovation of the Ross County Jail wound up recently, but an additional project there is beginning. There has been a problem with inmates digging into the mortar around the concrete blocks of the outer walls, and so the walls will be lined with steel plate.
Cosenza says the county lucked out in getting a $1.6M grant to do so. The bid opening was that day, and he said they hope to have work underway in January.
The county spent almost $1M on major work on the courthouse in 2006, and it’s due for touchups again. This time the work is only on the outside, with doors, windows, roofs, and masonry needing replacement, restoration, and repair. The project also includes the Old Jail and Sheriff’s Residence, which serves as the County Archives.
Cosenza says that should start in late 2025 – but it’s not just a simple matter of starting hammering and sawing. He and the commissioners discussed scheduling work around court and office hours with Ross County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Jeffrey Benson, as well as the judicial administrator.
Work on turning the former Citizens National Bank / LCNB Building into county offices continues, but talk of renovating the interior of the courthouse and moving all but court offices out to the CNB Building has only begun.
The county has also been making plans around the replacement of a subdivision sewage treatment plant. The one at Union Heights on State Route 104 north is at the end of its lifespan, and the county will replace it with an 8 1/2 mile extension from the state’s sewer line that serves the prisons and VA Medical Center, including connecting the Ross County Airport.
Cosenza says that is still in the design phase and construction is a long way off. He says it might go to bid about the same time as the courthouse and jail work, in late summer / early fall of 2025.
Speaking of the Myrl Shoemaker Ross County Airport, its runways will be repaved. Cosenza says they will also be grooved, per a new requirement by the FAA. He says blast pads will also be added at the end of the runways because of the many jets that visit.
The airport is currently in transition after the death of its operator Jim Parks last summer. Cosenza says his family has sold Parks’ business, which was mostly fuel-related, but the status of the Fixed Base Operator (FBO) who manages the airport is still in flux.
Previous Scioto Post stories:
- Swapping and Improving the Ross County Courthouse and LCNB Bank Building in Chillicothe (08/13/2024)
- Historic Ross County Courthouse Examined for Exterior Work (10/01/2024)
- Ross County Sewer Line Needed Soon (11/21/2023)
- Negotiating State Route 104 Sewer, and Ross County Fair Overview (08/19/2024)
- Ross County Airport Continuing Strong, Has Upcoming Events (05/15/2024)
- Conversations on Ross County Airport Continue, with Flight Trainers from Lancaster(10/31/2024)
Hear Cosenza in his own words in the video interview. Find much more in the article on the Scioto Post, including the video.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.
1 of 2 2 of 2 Cosenza coordinates a discussion with Ross County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Jeffrey Benson (far right), as well as the judicial administrator and and jail administrator.