MWCD breaks ground for new facility

A recent groundbreaking ceremony in New Philadelphia began work on a new project for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. Three new buildings will be constructed on Tech Park Drive and will encompass a total of 45,395 square feet.

The main building including offices will provide 34,225 square feet, the service garage/water lab/sign shop will provide 7,970 square feet and the equipment storage shed will be 3,200 square feet.

The agency has grown since its inception in 1933, which was in response to the March 1913 flood. The MWCD oversees 15 reservoirs across 18 counties. It is estimated $10 billion of potential damage from flooding has been prevented in the Muskingum River Watershed because of its efforts.

The MWCD considers New Philadelphia its home community. To further strengthen its bond with the city, it selected a site in the Tuscarawas Regional Technology Park. Tech Park Drive will be renamed Watershed Way.

All the organization’s staff hasn’t been stationed at the same site for at least 10 years. Executive Director Craig Butler is looking forward to bringing his staff together at the new site for better collaboration and efficiency.

The MWCD has been in its current location since 1947. It will probably be put up for sale once the new complex is complete. Construction is expected to take 18 months, and the organization will move sometime in fall 2026.

“Our original home on Third Street (in New Philadelphia) is a grand structure, especially driving by in the evening. The building has a glow that I feel embodies the spirit of the conservancy. It’s stately, strong and resilient,” Butler said. “However, after an addition and several upgrades over the years, it’s evident that our growing staff and, moreover, our equipment used to maintain our lands, parks and marinas no longer fit in the residential area. It was time to find a new home.”

Due to lack of space, they currently hold board meetings at Kent State Tuscarawas. They began the process of finding a new location more than a year ago and immediately considered the Tech Park location.

“Surprisingly, there’s very few locations where we could have actually built it, so this was a perfect spot,” Butler said. “Not only does it keep us in New Philadelphia, but there is enough room for our management, administrative, operational teams to come back together.”

The MWCD hopes to build upon its existing relationships with Buckeye Career Center and Kent State Tuscarawas. BCC provided busing for the ceremony’s guests from Kent State Tuscarawas to the building site location.

“We have like-minded missions and leadership, and we are grateful for their support,” Butler said.

The MWCD project will include building a trail to link with the trails Kent State Tuscarawas has already developed.

Other highlights of the project include a large meeting room that can accommodate about 125 people, using best management practices for stormwater retention, solar power on the service building, an individual tracking unit near the trail system, four EV charging stations and a dog park.

Butler sees the organization connecting with residents with the trail and dog park. The meeting area would be available too.

“Use of the space is important to us to reflect how we’re part of the community,” Butler said. “This has been a dream of the conservancy for decades to do this, having the financial ability to do it and then also integrate it into the community, the county, and make it a home for them too.”

Butler considers the new location a special place.

“We think a lot about the generations of people that will come after us,” Butler said. “We want to make sure we leave (the organization) better than we found it. We’re very excited.”