2/12/08 OLC Headquarters Office to Relocate in 2008
The office space at 2 Easton Oval that the Ohio Library Council has occupied since August 2003 has served the staff very well and has been utilized often by members attending committee, division, and chapter meetings as well as countless educational programs. However, due to increasing lease costs, the OLC Board of Directors has approved staff's recommendation that the OLC not renew the lease on its current space, and the headquarters office will be relocated by the time the current lease expires at the end of September 2008.
The advantages of having the OLC headquarters office the Easton area comes at a fairly significant cost. The per-square-foot cost has increased steadily, as predicted, over the past five years but increased substantially in the latter half of 2007 and into 2008 due to the expiration of county property tax abatement on the building and increasing maintenance costs. The costs that the OLC must share to pay the new property taxes has increased the rental costs more than $1,300 a month – or nearly 60% more than the average year's costs during the first four years of the lease. The lease renewal proposal included lease costs that are projected to increase even more during the next five years.
Efforts are currently underway to identify a new office location. Primary requirements for the new headquarters include having the same accessibility and parking opportunities afforded by the current Easton property, being near one of the major highways bisecting or surrounding Columbus, and having adequate space for meetings and education sessions. Also, the space should afford the opportunity for expansion if additional staff is needed as programs and services are added.
Options being considered for the new office space includes leasing space in a multi-tenant building or buying a building in which the OLC would be the sole tenant. Regardless of which option is selected, projections indicate that the office relocation will save the OLC as much as $30,000 - $40,000 per year – money that can be invested into programs and services for the members.
Continue to watch Access and the OLC Web site for updates regarding where and when the OLC office will be relocating.
