The Miami County commissioners voted Feb. 15 to lease the space to the library for a technology center and innovation space for public use. The agreement for 8,533 square feet on the second floor of the Hobart Center at 510 W. Water St. is for 10 years. The library is located just east of the Hobart Center, once home to the Hobart Brothers Co. corporate offices. The existing library will continue in use and will receive some renovations.
Under the lease, the library will pay $66,131, or $7.75 per square foot, for the first year. This includes utilities except telephone service, along with janitorial services.
County Commission President Ted Mercer called the project “a win-win for Miami County residents.” The county’s Department of Development and the library are looking for ways they can make innovation and technology features useful for small business and the entrepreneurial…
