by Carrie Moritz, Gazette
On Monday, the Garretson City Council held a special meeting to receive an update on a subject that hadn't been actively discussed in public meetings for nearly a year and a half, the potential construction of a new city hall, community center, and events center on the southern end of Main Avenue. This project is projected to come with a $9 million-dollar price tag, which set a few of the councilors back on their heels.
Part of the reason for the halt was due to land negotiations, which began to take place last fall. Using the area south of Sarah C Street between Main and Frank Avenues required the city purchase at least 4 acres; in the end, they acquired land between what would be Center Avenue (had it continued south) and Frank Avenue, significantly widening a portion of land they already owned. That purchase of 15.14 acres was completed in February of this year.
Despite the cost, the council has stated in the past that a new city hall is very much needed, and community surveys have consistently found a strong desire for a larger space for events, indoor walking space, and community gatherings. The council had opted to combine the two in order to save costs in maintenance, and were not willing to build on the current city hall lot due to a lack of parking options.
Representatives from the engineering firm Infrastructure Design Group and the architecture firm ISG were in attendance to present their plans and estimated costs.
ISG presented to the council the layout that had been designed back in 2021, which includes an open fitness room, community room, event hall with stage, and a full city hall. Infrastructure Design presented four land layout options for the building, three of which showed a curved-road option to connect Frank and Main south of the new construction. The fourth, which came with a $750,000-higher price tag, eliminated the curved option and moved much of the building construction another half-block south, connecting Frank to Main with a straight street. This would allow for the creation of five more lots that could be sold.
The council seemed more prone to consider the curved road, keeping the complex further north and allowing for better integration with a potential future park and bike trail.
They also inquired about, and appeared very willing, to approach the entire project in phases, with the event center being the final phase. They discussed the potential of that phase being canceled if it were to be completed by a private business entity. However, members of the council also pointed out the benefits of a publicly-owned space, including the possible addition of an indoor-walking track.
The costs broken down by both ISG and Infrastructure included $1.15 million for site work, including the extension of Main Avenue and utilities, $1.656 million for city hall, $676,500 for the community center, and $3.475 million for the event center. While this only brings construction costs to $6,958,250, contingency and non-construction costs rounded it out another $2 million to bring the total estimates to $9 million. Leaving the community center and event center unfinished would take the costs down approximately $1.4 million.
These estimates leave difficult decisions for council members to face, as City Finance Officer Paetyn Dreckman pointed out that the city isn't really eligible for any grants for the project. Mayor Greg Beaner stated that putting the complex on a bond was a non-starter for him, as he was unwilling to raise taxes further on residents.
However, councilor Tom Godbey questioned whether a half-penny sales tax was possible, and also suggested fundraising options such as naming sponsors. The council also discussed a possibility of doing a lease-to-own, where the city sells to a developer, who puts in the funds up front and then leases the building to the city.
While they opted to put further discussion of the complex on the agenda for May, it was pointed out that the city is able to back out of all of these plans up until they sign a contract. The soonest they could even consider putting a shovel to dirt would be 2025, and that would occur only if funding lined up.
This is unlikely, as the city has been putting substantial funds into infrastructure development over the past several years, and are currently working toward an overhaul of water, sewer, and streets on both 4th and 5th Streets to be started in 2024 and completed in 2026. This project is estimated to cost as much as 3rd Street, Main, and the truck route did altogether.
To round out the discussion, the council also explored the possibility of spearheading a master plan to ensure future development of South Main falls within the vision the city council has for the area. While nothing was set, councilor Bruce Brown reiterated how important it was to the community that more housing be built.
The next regular meeting of the council will be held on Monday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Legion.
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