Oxford City Hall Moving Early In Spring Semester

BY MAGGIE CALLAGHAN
Miami University journalism student

Oxford city administrators are going to have to wait a couple more months until they can move into their new office space.

The move into the old Lane Library will not happen until February 2018. City hall, which is currently located at 101 E. High St., was supposed to move into the former library at 151 S. College Ave. this month, but was pushed back due to redesigns that were submitted by the city in 2017.

According to City Manager Doug Elliott, the city received four bids from four different architects, and selected the one that met city requirements.

“We are hopefully moving in mid-February,” said Elliott. “But we still have not scheduled the open house.”

Oxford officials, who purchased the former library in February of 2015 for $1.4 million, want to wait to move into their new digs until after students have returned from winter break, according to Elliott. The renovations are being completed by Kramer and Feldman, a general contracting company based in Cincinnati.

Over budget

As reported last year, renovation of Lane was projected to cost $2 million. The total cost is now anticipated to be more than $2.9 million. “Included in this cost is a new emergency electric power generator for $129,220,” Elliott told a journalism class in October. The higher price tag will also cover the cost of a new roof.

According to Elliott, the city is renovating more than 16,000 square feet, which equals about $182 in costs per square foot.

“We are doing this project with existing funds,” said Elliott. “We will have no debt from this which is pretty unique for a city. We also are not using any state funds. But we will be paying interest back on the property.”

When it exits its High Street home, the city will leave behind the Oxford Police Department, which will be next up for renovations. The police department and city administration have long shared the building, which was built in 1938.

In 2005, MSA Architects, a firm in Cincinnati, completed a space needs study in Oxford and found that Oxford needed more space for their 24 full-time employees currently working in the building.

“We are doubling the space for our employees and it will still be centrally located,” said Elliott.

At this date, the police department is waiting to accept a bid from an architectural firm.

“This is long overdue,” said Oxford Police Chief John Jones. “We need more office space in general.”

Jones said the bid has taken longer than expected because the original plan came in over budget. Architects are now crafting new designs, he said.

“We aren’t going to see anything extravagant,” said Jones. “We will have more space in the evidence room and a new locker room which will be nice.”

Jones is not anticipating moving until 2019.

Top photo: Oxford's old Lane Library will be the home of City of Oxford departments early next year. -- Contributed photo