Jim Hobart (second from right) met with members of the Washington County Board of Health and Board of Supervisors to discuss options for the McCleery Calendar building. KCII news photo

The two-story brick building on East Third Street in Washington that once housed the McCleery Calendar Factory and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places will be rehabilitated. The building may come to house the Washington County Public Health Department. In a work session of the Washington County Board of Supervisors and Board of Health, Jim Hobart of Hobart Historic Restoration said he’s on a 60-day timeline to decide if the space will be residential or commercial. Hobart is willing to work with the public health department to transform the 8,000 square feet on the first floor and additional square footage in the basement into their space. He added they have some interest from to use the second floor space.

Hobart must own the building for at least five years to qualify for federal tax dollar requirements. Hobart is going to review the project and present rent figures and options for renting or renting to own the building before the end of the year. The Board of Health will meet in a special session January 6th at noon. Currently public health is in the Federation Bank building. A bond vote to finance construction of a new building failed in 2015 and this project would not require a bond vote, as the department would be renting as they do now.