Politics & Government
Black Box 'Safe' for Use After 6-Month Closure
An engineering firm has deemed the county government building on South Bond Street safe for occupancy.
The Harford County government building at 212 S. Bond St. has been deemed safe for occupancy by an independent engineering firm, according to a press release.
An emergency closure emptied the building Jan. 3 due to safety concerns.
“The building was found to be structurally adequate for general office use for which it was originally designed," reads the report from Century Engineering, Inc. of Hunt Valley.
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“I am pleased with the detailed analysis and study conducted by Century Engineering of the county office building located at 212 South Bond Street," County Executive David Craig said in a statement. "The safety of our employees and general public is of paramount importance. As county executive I want to be sure that the building has been thoroughly examined, necessary repairs made and an appropriate risk management plan developed prior to reoccupancy."
Built in 1985, the building was purchased by the county in 1996. It will be reoccupied after repairs are made and discussions between Craig and the County Council, the release stated.
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“The extensive structural evaluation performed by Century Engineering addresses all concerns raised in the two previous cursory evaluations that were performed initially,” Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits Director Bob Lynch said in a statement.
Craig and about 60 county employees were briefed Thursday morning on the most recent study.
The building housed about 75 county government employees, including the Harford County Council. The Department of Public Works and Cultural Arts Board were also relocated from the building.
