Monday, January 25, 1999
Erlanger upgrading city building
Ceremony marks expansion phase
BY SUSAN VELA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ERLANGER — City officials and community members gathered Sunday to celebrate the official start of a $4 million project that is destined to change the face of the Erlanger City Building.
Mayor Marc T. Otto Sr., City Administrator Bill Scheyer, City Engineer Jim Viox, City Council member Paul Hahn and Kim Patton of Florence-based GBBN Architects gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony outside the municipal center at Commonwealth Avenue and Baker Street, east of Interstate 75.
In 14 months, the torn-up ground will be the site of an 8,000-square-foot addition, which will house a new community room, where city council members will meet under an arched ceiling and address an audience of up to 120. Today's council chambers can handle a crowd of about 30.
The construction project also will accompany renovation of the entire building, which now has about 12,000 square feet.
The groundbreaking followed a service at Erlanger Baptist Church, where Mayor Otto spoke to an audience of about 100. He reminded them that the city building is one of the first structures that motorists see when they enter the city from the west on Commonwealth Avenue.
“The city building is going to be part of Erlanger for a long, long time,” he said.
The project has been in the planning stages for about three years. Covington-based Mardis & Meehan actually began renovating the building in the fall, soon after the post office moved from the building's front to the Erlanger Shopping Center.
If the contractors remain on track, the police department should be able to relocate there from the building's basement in June.
Erlanger Police Chief Greg Sandel said the basement, which often floods, is too small for the department and its 29 officers. Officers often have to conduct interviews in the hallway because of the cramped quarters, he said.
Pastors from four different Erlanger churches spoke at Sunday's special, hour-long church service. Students from Erlanger Lloyd High School's chamber choir sang the national anthem and Erlanger police conducted a flag ceremony in the church.
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