For two years, the city of Spring Hill has worked on plans to build a new library and police headquarters. At the Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting Monday night, it was decided with a unanimous vote to purchase for renovation the 350,000-square-foot Northfield Workforce Development building.
Now instead of new construction and staying on site, both the city’s library and its police headquarters will move eventually to the facility, which the city will pay $8.18 million for. Renovations could cost up to an additional $5 million.
But that is still considerably less than the $18 million the city budgeted and expected to spend constructing new library and police facilities.
The resolution came unexpectedly, however, as the board scrapped plans they had worked on for nearly half a year, from setting aside funds, to putting out bids then hiring architects for the library and police projects. The city will retain the architects it hired for the projects to design the renovations.
“To me this is a win-win opportunity that does not come around very often,” city administrator Victor Lay said. Lay explained that the building just came on the market in recent weeks, presenting an opportunity for both immediate cost savings, as renovation costs much less than construction and it provides for future expansion as the size of the building allows for the possibility of future city departments or other city need’s finding a home there.
The city has 60 days to complete its due diligence on the property. In that time it also needs to perform an environmental analysis, take surveys and amend the agreements it already has is in place.
The resolution and decision came suddenly. The purchase was not on the agenda or discussed at the BOMA work session, when the body last met, on Oct. 2. The city, in September, hired architects to design the library and the police building. As recently as that work session, the site of the library was going to be built on the site of the current one, at 144 Kedron Parkway. The police project was a renovation, but it was to expand and reconfigure the current headquarters that are part of Spring Hill city hall at 199 Town Center Parkway.
Alderman Amy Wurth, Ward 1, said that there is the possibility for even more savings. The city has been working on planning and funding a police training range, at a cost of $400,000. However, it currently is planned at a site about 30 miles from the police station at town hall. With space to grow and expand at Northfield, Wurth said, now the project can instead be built there.
That would free up the $400,000, which comes from Adequate Facilities Tax revenue.
“If they scrapped it there and built it at Northfield, that money could go to roads this year, and that would be outstanding,” Wurth said.
“The amount this is saving us long term is an opportunity we have never seen,” she added. “I am excited about it. I think this is a good move and a good thing for the taxpayers, who we will be saving millions and millions of dollars.”
What does this mean for the current tenants of Northfield. Martin Methodist, the EMT school, IBEX Global, Randstad, etc.? Will the city be taking over those leases?