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The county has signed a lease for 63 Genesee St., which is the current home of Lyons National Bank and formerly the Play Space. According to the terms, the county will rent the concrete building for $29,005 a month over two years. There is an option to renew for five more years. 

Cayuga County Legislature Chairwoman Aileen McNabb-Coleman told мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼ in November that the county considered "a number of places" after the closure of the county office building, which displaced several departments. That search included properties in Auburn and the surrounding area. 

"We did look everywhere," she said. 

McNabb-Coleman, D-Sennett, admitted that she initially wasn't interested in the building. Although 63 Genesee St. is in a prime downtown location, her concerns focused on the space within the building and the lack of parking. 

Her view changed after an architect presented a layout of the interior and a conversation with Christine Bianco, who is the commissioner of the county Department of Social Services. Bianco's department will be one of the agencies that occupies the building once it's ready. 

Bianco, McNabb-Coleman said, was excited about the space. The Department of Social Services has been working out of the Old Post Office and Courthouse since the county office building closed in May. 

There has been criticism of the decision to rent 63 Genesee St. due to the costs associated with the move — in addition to rent, the county will pay $1.1 million to set up the departments there — and the building's owner, Grant Kyle. 

Kyle was appointed as a county legislator in 2016, but lost his bid for a full term the following year. As a legislator, he was an independent. He had the Democratic committee's endorsement in the 2017 election. 

Before deciding to lease the building, McNabb-Coleman said the county checked for any conflicts of interest, and Kyle is not on any county boards. 

"That also made it something that I could think more seriously about," she added. 

At the last county Legislature meeting on Dec. 12, Legislator Mark Strong asked McNabb-Coleman about the status of 63 Genesee St. She confirmed the lease has been signed and work began to prepare the building. 

When Strong, R-Moravia, inquired about the timeline for having the agencies move into the building, McNabb-Coleman responded, "I do not have that window." 

The county office building closed in May after asbestos-containing vermiculite was found in a fifth-floor office. County officials decided to close the building for the summer while the roof was being repaired. 

However, an inspection found more vermiculite throughout the building. The discovery led to the decision to close the facility for two years.