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Construction on the Celina pre-K-sixth building at 227 Portland Street as it progressed this past summer.
CELINA - The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission has agreed to pitch in an additional $7.87 million toward Celina City School's building project, upping its total contribution to about $59 million.
School board members at this week's regular meeting signed off on a number of resolutions related to the building project, including one accepting the additional state dollars.
The extra funds were released to help the district with rising construction costs, according to superintendent Ken Schmiesing. They can be applied to the entire project - the consolidated pre-K-sixth grade facility under construction and the 7-12 grade building set to start going up this summer.
"They're working with us because they definitely want to see us have the success in getting the building completed," Schmiesing told The Daily Standard.
As part of the agreement with OFCC, the local share of the project will increase by $9.7 million.
"It's part of the $76 million that was approved by the voters, so we're not going to go back and ask for more money," Schmiesing noted. "It's already money that was raised through the levy, but it really takes more for the LFIs or locally funded initiatives."
Board members also accepted the schematic design phase for the 7-12 grade facility, authorizing architectural/engineering firm Garmann Miller to proceed with the design development phase.
Architects will now meet with various groups to determine space needs for the 7-12 grade facility, said district facilities director Phil Metz. This process will require input from more groups than the pre-K-sixth grade design development phase, he added.
The facility will be located on the existing primary school and high school campus. Construction is on track to begin next summer and should be completed in summer 2026.
Metz noted that work is going extremely well on the pre-K-sixth grade project, aided by favorable weather. The project involves a 115,000-square-foot addition to the existing Celina Intermediate School building at 227 Portland Street.
Drywall is going up, classrooms are being painted, temporary heating has been established and the last of the roof deck was put on the building, he said.
School officials anticipate its completion next summer when partial occupancy will occur.
Board members this week also gave their blessing to three applications for 100% tax abatements on improvements as part of the city's Community Reinvestment Area program that took effect on Oct. 28, 1981.
Through the program, the three entities will each get a 100% tax abatement - 75% from the city and 25% from the school district - for 12 years on improvements outlined in the agreements, according to Schmiesing. The owners will still pay the original taxes for the existing land value.
However, the three entities all agreed to make payments in lieu of taxes to the school district, essentially making it whole, said Schmiesing.
"It's basically the same percentage people get if we did not approve abatement and they got the 75% that they would qualify for (from the city) without our approval," said board member Carl Huber.
The first tax abatement was approved for two, three-unit apartments on the same parcel at 1205 E. Livingston St., as proposed by Timothy J. Homan and Sara Heffner. The improvements are listed at $720,000.
Homan and Heffner agreed to a PILOT payment of $2,772 each year of the 12-year abatement.
"These do qualify for commercial because they are the same property under the same ownership and will not be sold off," Huber said. "If they are ever split off by any reason or sold separately on the same parcel as a condo for any reason, they will not qualify anymore for the abatement."
The second tax abatement was approved for the 24-unit Phase 1 of Fairway Place Apartments at 2000 Legacy Lane, as proposed by Celina Apartment Group LLC c/o James Edmonds. The improvements are listed at $4.5 million.
The owners agreed to a PILOT payment of $12,510.58 each year of the 12-year abatement.
A final tax abatement was approved for Phases 1-6 of the Rush Sports remodeling project at 6301 U.S Route 127, as proposed by Investacorr Inc. c/o James Edmonds. The improvements are listed at $4.5 million.
School board members this week also bid farewell to Schmiesing, who will retire Jan. 1, opening up a new chapter in his life as he takes steps to become a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church.
Schmiesing has served as superintendent of the school district since Aug. 1, 2015. Brenda Boeke in October was named interim superintendent from Jan. 3 to July 31, 2024.
A video was played featuring school board members, former colleagues, staff and students offering glowing praise of Schmiesing and thanking him for his years of service.
"Number 101 regular board meetings here at Celina City Schools," Schmiesing said. "Thank you all. I truly appreciate that special presentation. Thanks for several of my family members, including my wife, for being here tonight as well. All the administrators, I appreciate the support there."
This was also the last meeting for board members Bill Sell, Deb Guingrich and Barbara Vorhees. They will be succeeded by Adam Schleucher, Jon M. Clouse and Julie Sommer, the top three vote-getters at the Nov. 7 general election.
