Local firm gains Tri Star contract

CELINA - A local architectural firm has been hired to design the new Tri Star Career Compact facility.

Fanning Howey Associates of Celina was named Monday. The project will consolidate all of the school's programs into one building, which will be built along state Route 703, across from Wright State University-Lake Campus.

Tri Star Director Tim Buschur said he was pleased with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission's decision.

"I think we're fortunate," he said. "We had three really good ones that were the finalists. I think they all made good presentations."

Fanning Howey, Garmann Miller & Associates of Minster and McGill Smith Punshon Inc. of Cincinnati gave presentations on Thursday to representatives of the OFCC, Tri Star and member school districts. The amount of the architectural firm's contract with the OFCC is still to be negotiated.

The new facility has been planned as a 95,567-square-foot, two-story building costing about $25 million. Funding will come from state funds and revenue collected from the recently approved 15-year, 0.95-mill bond levy. The state will cover $8 million with income from the levy funding the remaining $17 million.

A public sale of bonds sold out quickly, Buschur said.

"The bonds sold out within an hour to three hours from what I was told," he added.

Next up for the project is the hiring of a construction manager at risk, which should be completed in February.

Tri Star and Fanning Howey staff will start planning work within the next two weeks, Buschur said.