Orleans waiting on grant for ‘possible’ addition on County Administration Building
File photo by Tom Rivers: The County Administration Building on Route 31 in Albion may get an addition with some county departments moving to that site, including from the historic Courthouse Square.
ALBION – Orleans County is waiting to hear from the state if there are grant funds available to help pay for an addition to the County Administration Building on Route 31.
The county building, at 14106 Route 31 West, is located behind The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center and the Public Health Department.
The county may shift several offices to the addition, including the Board of Elections and Public Health Department, which is leasing space from Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services, the owner of the nursing home.
The county could also shift information technology (currently in Treasurer’s Office), the legislative chambers (in County Clerk’s Building), the county’s administrative office (also in Clerk’s Building) and create large multi-use rooms to accommodate training for large groups, conference rooms and offices.
The county last year agreed to pay Wendel, a firm in Williamsville, to design the addition to the County Administration Building. Payment for up to $70,000 to Wendel was approved during last Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting.
Legislator Bill Eick, R-Shelby, made the motion to approve the payment, while noting it was a “possible” addition.
“It’s not a done deal yet,” David Callard, the Legislature chairman, said this morning. “We are waiting to hear about grant funding which would further define the project, whether we would pursue it now and to what extent.”
Moving the Elections and Public Health from leased space will free up money that could go towards the addition. The county expected to hear from the state last December if it would assist with the project. Callard said the state hasn’t made a decision yet on whether it will contribute.
Callard said he and county officials looked at existing buildings, including sites in Albion’s historic downtown, but those sites wouldn’t improve efficiency of the county government operations.
The Legislature last week approved two other agreements to advance projects, including $40,000 to the Wendel firm for work on a waterfront revitalization plan for the towns of Kendall, Carlton and Yates.
The county also agreed to pay$14,750 to Delmar Electric Construction Corporation of Tonawanda to upgrade electricity for the docks at the Orleans County Marine Park.
