The director of administrative services shall be appointed superintendent of public works and shall have the care and control of the public works of the state and shall protect, maintain, and keep them in repair.

Subject to the approval of the governor, the director may purchase on behalf of the state such real or personal property, rights, or privileges as are necessary, in the director’s judgment, to acquire in the maintenance of the public works or their improvement.

The document that evidences the vesting of any right, title, or interest in real property, other than public lands, belonging to or used by the state shall be recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the property is situated. When recorded, such document and related papers shall be deposited with the director of administrative services and kept in the director of administrative services’ office, except that evidence of title to highway rights-of-way shall be deposited with the director of transportation and kept in the director of transportation’s office. The director of administrative services shall register the document, except title to highway rights-of-way, in a record system prepared for that purpose and open for inspection by all persons interested.

Any instrument by which the state or an agency of the state acquires real property pursuant to this section shall identify the agency of the state that has the use and benefit of the real property as specified in section 5301.012 of the Revised Code.