Montgomery County is moving into the design and planning phase for a new Job and Training Center in Harrison Township, at the former Forest Park property. County commissioners and partners recently unveiled a temporary sign at the future construction site marking the milestone, as the project moves from planning toward construction on a site the county now owns.
In August 2026, the county completed purchase of the 40-acre Forest Park property for $729,000. The site is near North Main Street, close to other county facilities including Children Services and Stillwater Center. County officials said the county has secured the property and brought partners together, with a clear path toward construction of the new center in Harrison Township.
The Board of County Commissioners approved a $3 million contract with Miamisburg-based Levin Porter Architects to design the center. The facility is expected to cost approximately $40 million and be between 140,000 and 160,000 square feet. Under the current timeline, the new Job and Training Center is expected to be completed in late 2028.
When it opens, the center will bring employment services, job training, Job and Family Services and Workforce Development resources together in one location. Instead of those services being spread across separate sites, county residents will be able to access employment, training and family services resources at the single Harrison Township facility once construction is finished.
County Administrator Michael Colbert has said the county currently leases Job Center space from St. Vincent de Paul and will have spent about $40.1 million on rent and renovations from 2016 through 2026. Colbert said owning the site is a more cost-effective long-term solution. The project moves forward without Human Services Levy funds and with no new levies, according to the county.
While the new center is built, services are transitioning to interim locations. Job and Family Services, for example, is at Southview Center, 25 Thorpe Dr., in Dayton, during the transition. The interim arrangements are in place while design and planning work continues and the county prepares for construction at the Forest Park property.
Commission President Carolyn Rice marked the sign unveiling as a turning point for the project. “This is an exciting point in this project because we can see it moving from an idea to something that will soon become a reality,” Rice said. The next phase is design and planning with Levin Porter Architects, ahead of the targeted late 2028 completion.