ESD to sell Hart office, expand Mason County facility.

ESD to sell Hart office, expand Mason County facility. 

#OceanaCountyEducation.

AMBER TOWNSHIP (Mason County) — The West Shore Educational Service District’s building and grounds committee has recommended that the ESD sell its Hart office as the district makes plans to upgrade and expand its main facility, located at 2130 W. US 10-31. Superintendent Randy Howe said the ESD staff has doubled since the building’s last modification.

“Use of the building for professional development has increased exponentially, the need to address student safety and security concerns has dramatically increased, technology advances have outpaced the capacity of the building and building maintenance issues need to be addressed,” Howe said.

To address those needs and upgrade the building anticipating future needs, the West Shore ESD Board has recently taken the first step which will lead to a redesign, upgrade and expansion of the facility. At its November 8 meeting, the ESD board approved fee estimates of approximately $95,000 for complete architectural design and project management of the Amber Township facility expansion, redesign and upgrade by r2 Design Group. 

“This approval has kicked off the preparation of the detailed drawings and other documents needed to facilitate bids on the expansion and upgrade project,” Howe said.

The first phase of the project will entail constructing a 5,400 square foot classroom addition on the south side of the building, security upgrades, interior room redesign and providing additional parking. The redesigned interior space will provide primary office spaces needed for housing all ESD ancillary and administrative support staff at the facility by the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. 

The second phase of the project will complete upgrade of technology throughout the building, address several building maintenance issues, and modify the building interior to provide additional conference rooms and meeting spaces utilized for area staff development.  A time line for the second phase of the project has not yet been established.

“Looking to the future, when the first phase of construction is complete and all ancillary staff members have relocated their primary offices to the Ludington facility, maintaining the Hart office building for storage, occasional drop-in use by staff, and some community use is not anticipated to be cost efficient,” Howe said.

“Other arrangements have already been made to accommodate drop-in office use for ESD staff who provide services to Oceana County schools and to provide for ESD material and equipment storage needs in Oceana County beginning next school year.

“After reviewing the maintenance costs to keep the building open and potential future uses of the Hart office facility, the Buildings and Grounds Committee has recommended that administration begin the process of selling the ESD’s Hart office building.  If the building is purchased from West Shore ESD, it would become available at the end of May, 2017.”