CORTLAND — The City of Cortland confirmed Wednesday that it plans to purchase the former Farmers National Bank parking lot on Main Street.

Cortland City Council had originally negotiated purchasing the full property, until the Trumbull County Health Department secured the bank building.

The two entities will now split the land, with the health department inside, and Cortland Council taking the 181 W. Main St. lot.

“The City of Cortland will be doing a simultaneous closing with the Trumbull County Combined Health District,” Mayor Deidre Petrosky stated in a city news release.

“They are in the process of purchasing the building. And the second floor of the building is one of three locations being considered by the commissioners for moving the 911 Center.”

As for the parking lot, which will cost $72,500, negotiated down from $100,000, Petrosky said it could be used for additional parking spaces for downtown businesses, while at least part of it will remain asphalt.

“What we intend to use it for is community event space,” Petrosky said. “Whether it’s food truck events or maybe closing off Bank Street and utilizing the lot for the Cortland Street Fair, we’ll be making improvements to the space and reconfiguring it as money becomes available.”

Petrosky said the city is looking forward to continuing community events and bringing more people downtown to give them a sense of community, to promote the revitalization program.

“It’s an exciting time for the City of Cortland,” she stated.

COMMISSIONERS MOVE

During an administrative workshop last year, Cortland learned that the cost of purchasing, renovating and moving the city’s administration, police, fire, water and sewer departments into the building came back at approximately $3.75 million.

Trumbull County Commissioner Denny Malloy said the health district was in the process of finalizing the purchase of the former Farmers Bank building at 194 W. Main St. in Cortland last month.

The city could lose $61,000 in income tax revenue with the move.

But Warren City Council is seeking to adopt legislation that would increase wages in the city by more than $260,145 in 2024.

In September, Malloy said the county employees will be patrons to the surrounding downtown Cortland businesses.