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Millions of dollars are expected to flow to the area for the Grand Event Center in Celina, theaters and opera houses in St. Marys and Fort Recovery and other projects big and small as part of the second phase of the capital budget rollout.
Every two years, the Ohio Legislature passes a capital budget bill supporting local community projects and infrastructure. This year, the General Assembly has an additional $700 million available via the One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund (OTSCIF) created in House Bill 33, the 2023 operating budget, according to an Ohio Senate news release.
Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, on Monday announced a list of communities in the 12th District selected for second phase funding through the sale of bonds.
More than $11 million has been set aside for projects across the 12th District, which consists of all of Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Mercer and Shelby counties and portions of Darke and Logan counties.
"These dollars make a difference for our families and neighbors here at home," Huffman said in a statement. "The Strategic Fund was a great start for the district, and now this money from the traditional Capital Budget helps fund additional projects ranging from our sports complexes and fairgrounds to recreation centers and parks."
Hearings for Senate Bill 292, the complete Capital Budget, will be begin today in the Ohio Senate Finance Committee, according to Huffman. The following area projects are expected to receive funding:
• The Grand Event Center at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina, $1.5 million. With Market Hall, the first phase of the project, finished, officials have focused their energies on raising additional funds for the Grand Event Center, a 100,000-square-foot venue for big events. The overall project has been pegged at $12.5 million.
• The Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery, $500,000 for restoration project. The Fort Recovery Friends of the Opera House are reviving the opera house built in 1883 with hopes of eventually staging live productions, children's theatre and small musical performances.
• St. Henry North Park Court, $450,000 for improvements.
• St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House, $300,000. The theater, built in 1895 and an erstwhile hub for arts and entertainment for the community, continues undergoing a major renovation.
• Coldwater Memorial Park, $200,000 for pickleball courts.
• Fort Loramie Heritage Canal Park project, $710,000.
• Versailles Heritage Park, $100,000.
•. Minster-Ft. Loramie Multi-Use Trail Connector, $100,000.
• North Star Community Park, $50,000.
• Osgood, $20,000 for tennis court.
• Chickasaw Community Park, $71,000 for improvements.
• Rockford Community Park, $18,000 for public restrooms.
The Capital Budget provides funding for improvements to public services and facilities across the state, including schools, infrastructure and mental health and addiction facilities, according to Huffman.
