MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners is moving forward with the purchase of land for a new Job and Training Center.
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The land is at Forest Park in Harrison Township, which officials said offers a “strategic advantage with its open, developable land and an ideal location near the corridor and other county facilities.
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“The new Job and Training Center will allow us to improve service delivery, enhance technology and strengthen access to resources from Job and Family Services and Workforce Development programs,” Commission President Carolyn Rice said.
Currently, the county leases space from St. Vincent de Paul. From 2016 through 2026, the county will have spent approximately $40.1 million on rent and renovations to the building.
“Owning a public asset ensures long-term stability, predictable costs and lasting value for our community,” County Administrator Michael Colbert said.
Colbert added that the project will move forward without using Human Services Levy funds and without a new levy being placed on the ballot.
Now that the agreement has been approved, the county will enter a 90-day due diligence period, according to county officials.
The county expects to close on the property this summer, pending the results of surveys, inspections, and environmental and soil conditions.
Forest Park originally opened as the home of a zoo in 1928. The site later became Frankie’s Forest Park amusement destination after the zoo’s closure in 1935.
The amusement park era ended in the 1950s, leading to the construction of Forest Park Plaza. The plaza remained a popular shopping complex until it was razed in 2013.
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