DELAWARE — Four Delaware County agencies broke ground Monday on a $35.8 million shared services building, designed to make it easier for residents to access social services in one place.
The 70,000-square-foot facility will house Delaware County Job & Family Services, the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery Services Board and the Delaware County Veterans’ Service Office under one roof.
For Deanna Brant, the new building taking shape is not really about office space — it is about what happens when a resident walks through the door at a difficult moment, and does not know where to turn next.
“It’s not about a building,” said Brant, executive director of the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery Services Board. “It’s about the ability to provide services in a way that makes sense.”
Approximately 225 employees will work in the new building, located at 2104 State Route 521 in Delaware, just northeast of the county’s existing Byxbe Campus. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2027.
The project employs three Central Ohio firms: MSA Design as the architectural firm, The Pizzuti Companies as the owner’s representative and Gilbane Building Co. as the construction firm.
Brant said co-locating critical services can make a meaningful difference for residents and families trying to navigate complicated systems.
“When they’re at their lowest point or just don’t know where to turn, the help needs to be easy to find, and it needs to be nearby,” Brant said. “We have long known from behavioral health research that down the hall is qualitatively better than down the street or across town.”
Idea began with DCBDD space needs
For Kristine Hodge, superintendent of the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Monday’s groundbreaking marked the result of an idea that began nearly a decade ago.
Hodge said the concept started in 2017, when the DCBDD created a building utilization committee to study the agency’s future space needs. Soon after, she joined county and agency officials on a trip to see how a social services campus worked in Seneca County.
“Our visit prompted many conversations and meetings over several years, resulting in extensive collaboration with the commissioners, their team and our community partners to find a path forward,” Hodge said.
“And here we are, nine years later, witnessing that dream become a reality.”
Hodge said the benefits for residents begin with access. Residents will be able to reach developmental disabilities services, mental health and addiction services, job and family services, and veterans services all in one location.
“The building will create efficiency for our social services agencies in Delaware County,” Hodge said. “We’re going to be able to streamline our agency services, and we’re going to be able to maximize county funding through a shared services building.”
New building adds to growing Byxbe Campus
The shared services building is an extention of the Byxbe Campus, a $42 million project anchored by a 144,000-square-foot building at 1610 State Route 521.
It opened in late 2023 after Delaware County commissioners purchased the former Delaware Area Career Center site in 2017.
That building currently houses the Delaware County Engineer’s Office, Regional Sewer District, Regional Planning Commission, Building Safety and Facilities Management, Soil and Water Conservation District and OSU Extension. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office also has an administrative building on the campus.
Commissioners also recently approved the strategic purchase of an additional 16-acre parcel near the Byxbe Campus for future county use.
Commissioner Jeff Benton said Monday’s groundbreaking is the next step in the county’s effort to consolidate services and reduce barriers for residents who may need help from more than one agency.
“Many of the individuals served by one of these agencies also receive services from another,” Benton said. “Bringing all of these services under one roof will reduce travel times and complexities for those residents while also allowing for closer working relationships between these agencies.”
He added few counties are able to bring this range of services together in a single, purpose-built facility.
“Thanks to long, careful planning and responsible fiscal stewardship, we are able to undertake this $35.8-million project without incurring any debt,” Benton said.
Veterans office will be near federal VA clinic
The new building also brings another advantage for the Delaware County Veteran Service Office: proximity to the federal VA community-based outpatient center.
Brian Galligher, director of the Veterans Service Office, said that location matters.
“That can’t get understated enough,” Galligher said.
Galligher said the shared building will make it easier to connect veterans with other services, including employment help through the OhioMeansJobs center.
Instead of giving veterans directions to another building, Galligher said staff will be able to walk them across the hallway.
“It’ll be nice to take the person by the hand and bring them across the hallway and introduce them to Bob’s staff,” Galligher said.
Galligher said the building’s design also includes practical details, including a canopy for older veterans and others who may need more time getting inside during bad weather.
Agencies say collaboration is the point
Bob Anderson, director of Delaware County Job & Family Services, said the groundbreaking represents the agencies’ shared commitment to helping residents access the resources they need.
“The groundbreaking is more than about partnerships and access to critical services, collaboration and connections,” he said. “It’s about our sheer commitment to ensuring clients have access to the resources, programs and support systems they need to thrive.”
Anderson said the building will strengthen the network of support available to individuals and families in Delaware County.
“Together, we will enhance our coordination, our supportive services, and help individuals and families achieve stability, safety and long-term well-being,” Anderson said.
“Together, we’re building a strong pathway to support those we serve.”
