FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- The Senior Center roof will be replaced beginning next month, with the estimated $554,000 project expected to be completed in late fall.

"There are a few issues going on that we need to correct," Fairview Park Director of Public Service & Development Shawn Leininger said. "We need to make improvements to the installation of the attic space. Right now, it causes the attic to overheat and basically cook the asphalt shingles on the roof in the summertime.

"Then, in the wintertime, we have ice dams that form on the roof. All of which deteriorate the roof shingles and shorten the life of the roof," Leininger said.

"So this project, we're going to improve the ventilation of the air that moves through the attic and replace the roof. With those improvements, we'll get the longevity out of the roof we expect to find."

The Senior Center, which was completed around the turn of the century, started to experience roof leaks roughly two years ago.

"We have a tarp over the back part of the roof, but it's a temporary fix," Leininger said. "We didn't pull the trigger on the roof replacement right away. We spent our time going through and making sure we evaluated the different options."

Those options included finding funding to cover the expenditure. Council earmarked $70,600 that the city received from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) toward the project, as well as a recently awarded $150,000 Cuyahoga County Municipal Grant.

"The balance of the project is from city funds," Leininger said. "There's $235,000 coming from the cable franchise fund and the remaining balance of $100,000 from the Senior Center general fund. The engineer's estimate includes the design, inspection and construction costs."

In other Fairview Park leaking roof news, the Gemini Center natatorium's $1.5 million replacement project is currently under design. The issue involves warm air getting into the wall cavity, turning into condensation and leaking into the natatorium. The weather-related leaking only takes place during frigid winter temperatures.

"There are a few things that we have to button up on the design," Leininger said. "I'll be asking City Council to authorize the administration to go out to bid. We hope to bid it later this year so we can be first in line for projects in 2019."