(2-24-26) Below is Monday night’s Celina City Council agenda…two items, not on the agenda, that snuck through the back door and were approved was a $750,000 total land purchase for a new Celina Fire Department firehouse.

The deal included multiple parcels of land along Grand Lake Road, including the former Orchard Tree restaurant lot that is now owned by Mercer Health.

Related: Mercer Health Reported To Have Purchased Celina’s Orchard Tree Family Restaurant

Two pieces of legislation were introduced (not on the agenda) last night and were approved as emergency measures at Monday night’s regular meeting, after councilors suspended the rules requiring three public readings.

The first ordinance authorizes the city to enter into a $470,247.50 purchase agreement with Mercer Health for the 1.8-acre vacant lot at 501 Grand Lake Road. Fenson Contracting LLC of Fort Jennings previously razed the former Orchard Tree restaurant for $100,000, a cost that was picked up through Gov. Mike DeWine’s Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program.

The second ordinance authorizes the city to enter into a $250,000 purchase agreement with Baronial Ventures Inc. for two vacant lots that just total under 1 acre along Grand Lake Road, just north of the former Orchard Tree restaurant lot.

City Council did not provide a cost estimate for the construction of a new fire department and how it will be financed.

Full Daily Standard story:
https://dailystandard.com/archive/2026-02-24/stories/54298/celina-to-buy-land-for-new-fire-station

In October of 2024 Celina City Council declined rezoning in the Celina City Industrial Park for land located on Industrial Drive that would have been used for an urgent care clinic from the Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health. After that the group decided not to continue on the project.

Mercer Health showed their displeasure during the process on having another health provider in the area.

Related:

Mercer Health CEO Lisa Klenke told the Daily Standard after an October 2024 Celina City Council meeting-

“We at Mercer Health do have concerns about the impact that a larger corporate health system could have on our community such as over-saturation or duplication of available services and the negative impact of potentially aggressive competition not only on Mercer Health but also on Grand Lake Health System as well.”

Negotiations and the purchase of the sites between the City and Mercer Health had taken place before the meeting last night.

According to Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel when commenting to WCSM –

‘I’m really pleased in cooperation with Mercer Health we were able to purchase the former Orchard Tree site.’