BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON -- Butler County has received $3 million from the state for pre-construction costs of the Government Services Center.
The Ohio Department of Administrative Services issued the check to cover costs of design, planning, architectural and engineering services, specifications, site preparation work and surveys of the $35 million building that's under construction in Hamilton.
State Sen. Scott Nein, R-Middletown, and State Rep. Gregory Jolivette, R-Hamilton, attended the county commissioners' meeting Thursday and presented them with an enlarged facsimile of the $3 million check.
The state legislators and the county commissioners said the 11-story office tower will be an important addition to downtown Hamilton and will fill a need for government office space in the county seat.
The building will house state, county and Hamilton offices. County offices that will be in the building are common pleas court, domestic relations court, the human services department, the board of elections, the clerk of courts, the Child Support Enforcement Agency, the Private Industry Council - Employment Training Administration and Veterans Affairs.
The state will have a Bureau of Motor Vehicles office and an employment services office in the building.
Construction of the Government Services Center is to be completed by late summer next year.
