Bialosky & Partners Architects to design renovations for Orange Village Hall – cleveland.com

ORANGE, Ohio -- Bialosky & Partners Architects of Cleveland has been selected to perform design services for renovations and additions to Village Hall.

On Wednesday (May 3), Village Council authorized Mayor Kathy U. Mulcahy to enter into an agreement with Bialosky to perform the services at a cost not to exceed $48,500.

Village Law Director Stephen Byron said Mulcahy recommended the firm based on good work it has done in the past in the village and other area municipalities, including Pepper Pike.

He noted that Bialosky performed the design services for the villages service department facility, which opened in 2013, and did the police, fire and service building renovations for Pepper Pike.

In a letter to Mulcahy from Paul Deutsch, principal and chief operating officer of Bialosky, he said the renovations and additions are being done to accommodate the current and future growth needs of the villages administrative, police and fire departments.

Orange Village has experienced dramatic growth and development since the Village Hall facility was completed in 1995, Deutsch said in his letter. The primary goals of this planning and conceptual design phase are to help unlock the potential of this 28-year-old facility and prepare it for its next generation of service.

The total budget for the project has been estimated at $5.5 million, which includes soft costs, Deutsch said in his letter. The remaining costs for hard construction are estimated at $4.1 million to $4.4 million, he said.

The design process is expected to take about eight weeks, the letter indicated.

Mulcahy has said the village needs more space at its municipal center for police officers and firefighters due to the limitations of Village Hall.

The village has been expanding its police force since last year, partly due to a significant increase in violent crime in the villages commercial district on Orange Place since early 2020.

The needs of the fire department also have changed greatly since 1995, resulting in the need for more space for firefighters as well, Mulcahy has said.

The villages administration had been considering placing a safety forces levy -- which would have helped defray the costs of the renovations -- on the Nov. 7 ballot. But Mulcahy said in April that it has been determined thats not possible, for various reasons.

In January, Mulcahy noted that the village has about $2 million in the general fund that will be moved into a capital improvement fund dedicated to future upgrades of Village Hall.

Firefighter appointed

In other action, council confirmed the appointment of Mitchell Tikkanen as a part-time firefighter/paramedic.

Assistant Fire Chief Larry Genova introduced Tikkanen, who was then administered the oath of office by Mulcahy.

Tikkanen, who grew up in the Youngstown area, earned a bachelors degree in biology from John Carroll University in University Heights in 2019.

He attended the Cuyahoga Community College Fire Training Academy and completed his paramedic training through University Hospitals. He currently works as a paramedic at a UH facility in Lakewood in the emergency department.

Tikkanen, a Berea resident, was accompanied during his swearing-in ceremony by his fiance, Paige Bidinotto. They plan to be married in May of next year, he said.

New Bedford Municipal Court judge

Also on Wednesday, Mulcahy noted that the likely election of Nick Papa as a Bedford Municipal Court judge could have an interesting impact on the village.

Papa, of Solon, defeated Solon Councilman Robert Pelunis in the Democratic primary election for that office Tuesday (May 2).

According to final, unofficial results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Papa received 2,536 votes (69.2 percent) to Pelunis 1,128 votes (30.8 percent).

There was no Republican primary in this race, so Papa advances to the Nov. 7 election with no opposition.

Bedford Municipal Court oversees cases from 14 municipalities, including Orange.

Papa would replace incumbent Bedford Municipal Court Judge Brian Melling, who cannot run again due to mandatory age requirements. Judges in Ohio are not permitted to seek re-election after they have reached their 70th birthday.

Its interesting to us in Orange Village because our prosecutor (Blair Melling) is the brother of the judge who Nick Papa will be replacing, Mulcahy said. I dont know if its going to change anything for the police department, but we can now go to both judges.

Its just different than what its been for a long time.

Mulcahy explained that since the Mellings are brothers, Blair Melling was not permitted to represent the village in the Bedford Municipal courtroom of Judge Brian Melling. Those cases had to be tried before Judge Michelle Paris, the other Bedford Municipal Court judge.

Byron reminded Mulcahy that Papa will not take office until January, if as expected he is elected in November. He would serve a six-year term.

Brian Melling, a Solon resident, has served on the bench of the Bedford Municipal Court since 2000.

Papa, 56, was a longtime registered Republican before switching parties. He is an attorney with 30 years experience practicing law, including 17 years as a part-time magistrate on the court. He is also a substitute acting judge.

Pelunis, 49, has served as Solon City Councils Ward 2 councilman for 21 years and has been an attorney for 24 years. He has his own law practice.

Upcoming events

Mulcahy also spoke about some upcoming events in the village.

The annual Community-wide Garage Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 24-25. Its open to all village residents, and the sale takes place at homes in Orange. Residents may participate one or both days. There is no fee.

The deadline for registration is June 14. Registration can be done via the village website, orangevillage.com, or by calling Village Hall at 440-498-4400.

Music at the Amphitheater, sponsored by the Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce, is slated for June 27. The villages second annual Party in the Park will be July 22.

Both of these events will be at Community Park.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.

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Bialosky & Partners Architects to design renovations for Orange Village Hall - cleveland.com