“This whole place was kind of perfect for what they needed,” said Jeff. “There was this six-acre parcel in the middle of Chardon that was a leftover truck terminal for years with two large buildings and lots of open space. It lent itself to exactly what was needed. It was the ultimate puzzle piece that fit so well.”

Jeff explained the technical aspects of the location and preexisting buildings and how the new facility design adapted to fit. “The smaller structure was a 50-year-old wooden pole building of about 7,000 SF. We converted that into the mechanic’s bay. The bigger one was about 14,000 SF, so we were able to consolidate the maintenance and other departments into a single building.

“We did a structural analysis, and the buildings were in really good condition. There weren’t a lot of significant updates. We added some structural support members. We sprayed insulation foam, the offices have normal heating and cooling, and the central storage and maintenance areas have gas fire radiant heaters. That’s all pretty standard stuff. Now, it’s drywall, ceilings, heating, and cooling. It’s all upgraded, and you wouldn’t know it was an old building because it looks like a brand new building.

“They were basically empty shells that we planned out. We built inside the frames of the original buildings, with the exception of the shipping dock at the front of Building A. A semitruck can pull up and offload deliveries that the district can either send out to the schools or place into warehouse storage.

“Since we met the modern energy codes and other regulations, the buildings are as environmentally sustainable as they can be. Things like insulation, LED lighting, and stormwater drainage make the location efficient. Even though we don’t get LEED certification, we get the LEED performance from those systems.”

Jeff continued, “One of the biggest things we had to do was tear out the entire floor of the smaller building because we needed to add proper drainage and a slope. Since we had to do all this work anyway, the district decided to add underfloor radiant heating, which is really cool. When buses come in from the snow or rain, they drip. Since the bus garage is heated from the floor and not units 16 feet up, it creates an even heat that dries the floor pretty quickly. The staff should love it because for a maintenance bay, it’s pretty comfortable in there even when it’s cold outside.”

Jeff concluded, “The new facility is a Cadillac compared to the old one. The buildings were the right size. The lot was the right size. The location was in the right place. The price was right, and the timing was right. You couldn’t ask for a better fit.”

“A project of this scope, especially taking two existing buildings and renovating them, would not be possible without so many people working to make it a reality,” Dr. Hanlon said. “The importance of this project is being able to truly maintain the taxpayer investment in a consistent and professional manner. This facility enables us to do that.

“This is now a permanent home for all those key business operations offices that provide services most people don’t see. But, they’re integral for us to deliver on the commitment of our mission of high achievement for all students. The new Business Affairs Transportation Center enables each of those offices to professionally deliver core services every day that are so important to our students and our staff.”

Chardon Local Schools’ new Business Affairs Transportation Center is a success story that has only just begun.