North Canton transfers North Main Street properties to prepare for sale

NORTH CANTON – City Council has approved transferring four parcels of land the city owns in the 1200 block of N. Main St. to the city's Community Improvement Corp. so they can be sold.

North Canton public policy analyst Benjamin Young said council members have made it clear they do not support the idea proposed by former Director of Administration Patrick DeOrio to move city workers from City Hall to the North Main site to free up space for police officers.

The city now is seeking to sell the properties, hopefully for at least $2.3 million to repay the bonds issued to finance the purchase and save on the interest. The city is focused on building a new fire station for $14 million at Viking Street and North Main Street.

Young said the Community Improvement Corp. legally is better able to negotiate contingencies in a sale agreement. He said the city administration has informed the businesses that rent space from the city at 1206 North Main St. about the situation. Young said city officials hope that the new owner would want to assume the leases, which usually run monthly.

Council President Matthew Stroia, at-large, said council will take its time to decide whether to eliminate its dispatch center and regional dispatch center, possibly saving about $500,000 a year. Young had said the warranty for the city's aging radio equipment was set to expire this summer. But he's confident if the radio equipment breaks, a supplier could provide replacement parts in the meantime.

Young said the city administration will propose to council how to raise $14 million to fund the construction of a new fire station at Viking and North Main Street. The costs are broken down as $2 million for site work, $2 million for the architect to design the facility and $10 million to construct the building.

Young indicated that a proposal of a fire levy increase might be an option the administration presents to council. The city is expected to place a road levy increase on the ballot for November.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. X formerly Twitter: @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: North Canton shifts properties to Community Improvement Corp. for sale