ELIDA — The village of Elida is moving closer to having a new village hall after a multiyear effort of saving money and making preparations, according to village administrator Dave Metzger.
The current village hall at 200 W. Main St. was built in 1920, according to the Allen County Auditor’s website, but Metzger said its history goes back even farther, potentially even to the 1860s. With the building also housing the police department and a branch of the Lima Public Library, it was getting to the point where the space and the amenities were no longer conducive to housing the village offices, according to Metzger.
“We have one shared bathroom in the village hall,” he said. “It’s very small. So we’re looking at putting up an approximately 3,000-square foot building, and that will give office space for everyone. We’ll have one larger office, council chambers and it will handle the police garage for the vehicles and their offices, as well.”
Two years ago, the village entered into contract with an engineering firm to design the new building, which the village plans to erect on about an acre of property on East Main Street next to Neidert’s Mowers.
“We actually have this out for bid right now, and those are due Jan. 17,” Metzger said. “It’s an approximately $1.5 million project with the land purchase, the design phase and tear down [of existing buildings on the lot]. We’ve spent approximately $400,000 already, and that’s been money that has been saved and put back for the project.”
Depending on bids received, Metzger is hopeful that, once Village Council holds readings on approving the move in January and February, work could begin in March with a nine-month time frame for construction. Before council approval, however, the village’s finance committee will meet on the issue at 7 p.m. Jan. 18 once bids are received. Village Council will meet as a whole Jan. 19, with a public meeting to follow at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 to answer questions and accept public input.
Concerning what would be done with the current building, Metzger said the village has options on the table, including selling it and using the funds to help pay for the new building. Metzger also emphasized that the village will not put extra financial pressure on residents in paying for the new building.
“There will be no shock from this,” he said. “Everything we’ve purchased in the last two years has been used, and what we anticipate for payments is incorporated in the budget already.”
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