Trustees also are requesting qualifications for a design/build contractor
By Emily Chesnic
Northfield Center Township is following a proposed timeline to construct a new safety building to house administration offices and fire/EMS and law enforcement operations.
“This building is going to be a great benefit to the township and give us a campus-style atmosphere, putting everything together at one location,” said Trustee Rick Reville.
The new building is proposed for the site of Northfield Center’s service yard, between West and East Highland roads, just off Olde Eight Road. It would take the place of the dated fire station on Route 82 and the aging Town Hall off Brandywine Road, which still may be used for some purposes in the future.
At a special meeting Nov. 23, the trustees unanimously approved a preliminary sketch of the multi-purpose facility presented by criteria architect, Thrasher Group, and authorized seeking a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a design/build contractor for the project.
In the summer, the trustees selected Thrasher, of Canton, to come up with the initial sketch of the safety building, considering the needs and wants of Northfield Center officials and the Macedonia Fire Department and Summit County Sheriff’s Office, which provide the township with its safety services.
Thrasher’s Josh Lyons said he reviewed a list of requirements for the building to come up with the preliminary sketch.
The drawing shows the building likely will feature four offices, a kitchenette, restrooms and a storage garage for the township administration, and a police space with a secure vestibule leading to the interview room, an office and restrooms. The bulk of the building will be used as a space for the fire department, including a large apparatus bay area, turnout gear contamination area, storage space, office space and a living space for the staff, as they work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The administration, police and fire areas will each have their own public entryway.
Township officials said the goal has been to keep the building footprint as economic as possible, without having unneeded space.
The preliminary sketch shows the building being 11,100 square foot, with their being the possibility of adding a multi-purpose room for the township to use, if the budget allows for it. According to the drawing, 7,600 square feet of the building will be fire department space; 900 square feet, police space; and 1,600 square feet, township space.
Lyons said the fire department and Summit County Sheriff’s Office were in favor of the basic sketch, as it shows the building meeting their requirements.
“The layout looks very good,” said Trustee Paul Buescher.
Trustee Russ Mazzola said the layout is subject to change, but the requirements of the building will remain. A design build firm now will have a good understanding of what the township is looking for when submitting an RFQ, he said.
The budget for the building has changed since the township first began looking into the project, as the building size increased when the requirements were established officially, said Mazzola.
He said the township will spend about $125 a square foot for the new facility, with the total cost of the building being about $1.25 million.
Helen Humphreys, new part-time administrator, said the township is considering financing options but likely would go through a bank, borrowing the $1.5 million to be paid over a 15-year period, with the annual amount owed to be about $160,000, with the interest rate being at about 2 percent.
Reville added the new building would be “very efficient” and include “eco-friendly” options to save the township financially in the future.
Humphrey said the goal is an April 2021 groundbreaking for the new safety building. She said the trustees would advertise Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 for RFQs, and those would be reviewed by the Safety Committee before coming before the trustees for approval at a special meeting Dec. 28. The township then will advertise for a request for proposals (RFP) for three weeks and select the project builder at the end of February, she said.
Also, at the special meeting, the trustees approved a Motorola Solutions contract for the 800 MHz radios for the fire department.
