New offices for Children Services

By Rita Price

The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday April 18, 2012 4:39 AM

Franklin County Children Services is breaking ground today on a $17 million East Region complex in Whitehall, above, that will allow it to consolidate operations from two sites. Below is the agencys office at 205 N. Hamilton Rd., one of two buildings that will close.

For employees whove spent years working in a noisy office next to a transmission shop, construction of the Franklin County Children Services east office building cant happen soon enough.

The families the agency works with will benefit, too, and tax dollars will be saved, according to Children Services.

Tom Drumm, a supervisor at the current East Region site, said he and other workers have been eagerly following the progress via architect renderings, building layout plans and construction photos.

You can probably find people who are more excited than I am, but it wouldnt be easy, Drumm said.

Children Services is holding a ceremonial groundbreaking today for the $17million office complex thats under construction at 4071 E. Main St. in Whitehall.

The agency has been planning and budgeting for the project for years. By consolidating operations, it expects to save about $780,000 a year on leases and other costs, Executive Director Chip Spinning said.

Thats the financial savings, he said. What you cant measure is how much better this will be for families. With 96,000 square feet, the complex will be far more family- and kid-friendly, officials say.

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New offices for Children Services