Staff report
news@wbcowqel.com
It appears as though Crawford County may be getting a piece of the state pie and it won’t be just crumbs if the state’s capital budget is passed as proposed. Ohio Gov. John Kasich released the 2015-2016 capital budget which totals $2.4 billion and two projects in Bucyrus are on the list for a little over $1.2 million.
Those projects are Schines Art Park for $357,500 and the Crawford County Education Center for $850,000.
Schines Art Park would be in the location of the old Bucyrus Theatre on South Sandusky Avenue. The theatre has been empty following a fire nearly 50 years ago and a local group finally got possession of the structure from former Crawford County Engineer Randy Strauch.
Their effort to restore and refurbish the theatre had to be abandoned due to lack of funding the continuing deterioration. That deterioration has affected an adjoining building occupied by Midwest Furniture and will have to be razed. The city has struggled to find funding for that demolition.
The education center would be in the former Crawford County Board of Elections Office on North Walnut Street. The Board of Elections recently relocated its offices to the Crawford County Courthouse. The education center would be part of North Central State Technical College.
Elsewhere in surrounding counties, Morrow County is slated for $6 million for dam rehabilitation. Four projects in Marion County would receive $3.8 million. Those projects include work to the Harding Home and Palace Theatre. Four projects in Seneca County would get a total of $1.2 million and seven projects in Richland County would get $4.8 million. Projects in Richland County include work at North Central State Technical College, Ohio State’s Mansfield campus and Lahm Airport.
The capital budget must still be approved by the Ohio Legislature.