A proposal for the city of Toledo to sign a lease with the state of Ohio for office space in One Government Center downtown likely won’t go to a vote until councilmen get all their questions answered.
The lease, which runs from 2016-21, would cost the city about $1.6 million per year, and some councilmen took issue with how it would be paid for. Councilman Sandy Spang said she wants to amend the agreement so that community development block grant dollars won’t be used to pay for office space, even if it’s an allowable use of the funds.
“The mission of CDBG dollars is economic development and low and moderate income neighborhoods, and so many communities have done so many really meaningful projects that have been transformative for neighborhoods,” Ms. Spang said. “So for us to be using this for rent for office space and parking spaces, to me, seems an inappropriate use of CDBG dollars.”
She requested that city staff find out how much community development block grant funding has been spent on rent on office space in One Government Center, as well as on parking spaces, in the last five years.
“I do think it’s critical that we sign this lease to protect our interests as the future of the building is uncertain,” Ms. Spang said. “I think it’s a very reasonable per-square-foot-price and I think it makes all the sense in the world to sign this lease. But I don’t think it’s appropriate that we use those precious CDBG dollars for renting office space and parking spaces.”
Councilman Rob Ludeman agreed, and added he’d also like to know if leaky windows have been fixed and if the mold in the building has been cleaned before he signs on to a lease.
“The windows leak like crazy,” he said. “The building was not built properly.”
City officials previously said the building, which houses city, county, and state offices, needed at least $5.4 million in repairs. It has been more than two years since Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson got the go-ahead to negotiate city ownership of One Government Center.
In April negotiations between the city and the state broke down when the two sides couldn’t agree on terms such as a $1 million price tag to caulk windows. The Hicks-Hudson administration was interested in purchasing the building for $1, but not unless repairs were completed.
Councilman Larry Sykes said he’d like an update on “where we are with the potential purchase.”
“One way or another it’s going to cost us money, either rent, or we’re going to buy it,” he said.
Council President Steven Steel said the lease proposal will remain in the committee of the whole until council is ready to act on it.
Contact Sarah Elms at selms@theblade.com, 419-724-6103 or on Twitter @BySarahElms.
First Published August 16, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
