Hamilton County wants to move some offices out of downtown to Bond Hill

Hamilton County is exploring the move of several of its offices out of downtown and into the Mercy Health building in Bond Hill.

The plan, which has to be approved by commissioners, would include moving the Hamilton County Job & Family Services, Developmental Disabilities Services, Public Health, Environmental Services, the Office of Addiction Response and the Veterans Service Commission to the building off the Norwood Lateral at Reading Road.

The timeline would not be swift. If the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners approves the purchase, they would expect to close on the property by October of 2024, according to Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto. Orlando Sonza says he expects at least a six-month renovation of the interior of the building to get the various areas of the building ready for the new county office tenants.

Aluotto said it would affect more than 500 employees.

The purchase price for the building in Bond Hill given to the county was $95 million, but Aluotto said because they would be buying Mercy Health out of their lease, they agreed to pay $30 million of the cost.

Aluotto said the building on Central Parkway that currently houses the groups that it wants to move would be vacated as a result, and that the county would look to sell the property.

"If we did this, one of the things that will allow us to do is to shed a lot of deferred maintenance on those existing buildings," Aluotto said.

Aluotto also said a benefit of the move to the Bond Hill building is easier commuter access and more parking.

Commissioners will begin discussing the plan Tuesday.