ThisWeek CW 01/08/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/01/05/public-works-upgrades-price-tag-for-new-building-could-top-3-million.html

It will cost Canal Winchester around $3 million to replace its Public Works facility, according to department director Matt Peoples, who said he has been working with Finance Director Amanda Jackson on financing options.

Renderings he showed city council in December are for a 21,000-square-foot garage attached to 3,800 square feet of office space. It would provide room to house all the city’s public works vehicles and staff in one location.

“This will house all of our trucks with plenty of space to add additional equipment inside there,” Peoples said. “As we looked at the 60-plus-year-old building, which is at least 15 years past due for updating, a $3-million investment doesn’t seem as huge. This will be another seriously long-term solution for Public Works.”

Peoples said the initial cost estimates include $300,000 to renovate the Interurban building. Depending on financing, the city may include additional dollars to renovate portions of the Frances Steube Community Center as well, with a new roof, upgrades to bathrooms and offices and potentially expanding the building to provide more common space.

One critical Public Works upgrade, a new $250,000 salt barn, isn’t part of this plan because it is being built as part of upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, Peoples said.

“Rates for short- and long-term financing are great right now, so this is more than feasible,” Jackson said. “We’re looking to keep payments at around the $300,000 range annually.”

Councilman Rick Deeds asked if the project would have an impact on whether the city could consider a new municipal building, a project which has been on Canal Winchester’s five-year plan for several years now.

“I don’t think it will be an issue because we can refinance later and our debt capacity is there if we need it in the next five to 10 years,” Jackson said.

“Basically, if we have this new Public Works facility, then the municipal building could be all-encompassing, including things like council chambers, since we aren’t forecasting any increase in personnel.”

Besides additional space for vehicles and equipment, the new Public Works project would include six new offices, a conference room and bathrooms. Currently, as many as 13 employees share one office, a break room and a single restroom, Peoples said.

Jackson said she hopes to bring finance options to city council early in 2015, possibly in January.

If council approves financing for the project, Peoples anticipates the current Public Works facility being demolished in early spring, with equipment and staff being stored temporarily in other city buildings and in a temporary work trailer.

“We’ll have a site office trailer and some semis to hold the equipment and we’ll have to store things at the water plant and the wastewater treatment plant,” he said. “It won’t be an easy task and will have to happen in the summer.

“I think it will be a 28-week project, so it could be done before snow season.”