Local projects get funding boost

The effort to finally get the Sandusky State Theatre open again is getting a $1 million boost from state lawmakers. The theater will receive $1 million in new state funding, according to a capital projects list for Erie County released by state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron. On Wednesday, House lawmakers approved Senate Bill 450, sending it to the governor. This year's bill has nearly $4 billion for state and local projects, with state lawmakers allowed to ask for projects in their local districts. For example, Swearingen asked for projects for Erie and Ottawa counties, state Rep. Kellie Deeter, R-Norwalk, went to bat for Huron County, and state Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, advocated for Sandusky and Seneca counties. For one of those recipients, the Norwalk Arts Center — which received $600,000 for its ongoing renovations of the Norwalk Theatre — its award represents the latest contribution toward its overall funding goal of about $13 million; it's now at about $9 million, including the new capital improvements funding, according to a news release. "This appropriation is a meaningful step forward for our timeline, and we are incredibly grateful to (state) Senator (Gayle) Manning, Senator (Theresa) Gavarone, and State Rep. Kellie Deeter for championing the arts and for their investment in this project," Dina Lukasko, executive director of the Norwalk Arts Center, said. "They have been an integral part of our capital funding strategy, and we cannot wait to welcome them through those doors on opening night." Here is a county-by-county list of projects for counties in our local area: Erie County • Sandusky State Theatre restoration, $1 million • Kelleys Island Community Park improvements, $300,000 • Sandusky Lions Park Improvements, $200,000 • Vermilion Town Hall Fine Arts renovation, $225,000Huron County • Norwalk Theatre restoration, $600,000 • Artists' Open Studio (AOS) Community Arts Facility, $200,000 • Clark Park Shoreline restoration and preservation, $100,000 • Willard Veterans Park Memorial construction, $100,000 • Americans with Disabilities Act restroom in North Fairfield Village Park, $90,000 Ottawa County • Ottawa County Fairgrounds Safety & Energy project, $200,000 • Port Clinton Waterworks Park improvements, $450,000 • Genoa Civic Theatre improvements, $250,000 Sandusky County • Sandusky County Fairgrounds Infrastructure, $530,000 • Gibsonburg Flood Mitigation Project, $500,000 • Birchard Park improvements, $125,000 • Hayes Presidential Library Project, $110,000 • Oakwood Cemetery Infrastructure Preservation Project, $70,000 • Historic One Room Chippewa School, $63,000 Seneca County • Ritz Theatre, $160,000 • Paving the Attica Waterfront Walking Path, $100,000 • Renovating the Meadowbrook Park Historic Ballroom, $60,000 • Restore the Fostoria Historic Cemetery, $50,000 How it works Every two years, lawmakers approve a capital improvements bill that largely funds state projects but also provides support for local projects. Below we list the projects for Erie, Ottawa, Huron, Sandusky and Seneca counties. The Sandusky State Theatre shut down after a June 2020 storm caused extensive damage. Theater officials have been struggling since then to get it reopened. Swearingen said he was told the Sandusky State Theatre funding would help get the theater finally open again. Swearingen explained how the process works for him and other lawmakers. He said that he asks local officials and residents for suggestions on projects to be funded and turned in 20 to 25 possible projects for his two-county district. Four projects in Erie County made the final cut. Projects that were ready to go and enjoyed broad support were more likely to survive. Some had to be axed because they weren't eligible for state funding. Swearingen said that each Ohio House district got around $2 million of funding for local projects, with each Ohio Senate district getting about $6 million, although that varied from district to district. "Do Republicans get a little bit more than Democrats because we're the majority party? Yeah, probably," Swearingen said. But he added that when a project obviously is important, "I've never seen that get denied because of party lines." According to news releases issued by lawmakers, projects were funded in all 88 Ohio counties. Erie and Ottawa counties in Swearingen's House District 89 are represented both by Swearingen and Gavarone, R-Bowling Green. Swearingen said he met with Gavarone to compare notes on possible projects. Swearingen said that although he can't fund every submitted project, he tries to find other sources of possible government funding for rejected projects. And projects can always be submitted again, he said.