Sandusky approves City Hall relocation plan

SANDUSKY — Get the moving trucks ready.Sandusky city commissioners on Monday, by a 5-2 vote, approved an $18.5 million relocation plan for City Hall, located today on Meigs Street.The publicly financed project involves:• Building an entirely new complex, or justice center, at an undetermined location for police and municipal court operations• Moving administrative services into parts of three adjoining downtown structures, the Kingsbury Building and former Calvary Temple church, on Columbus Avenue near Small City TaphouseThe city can now enter into a lease agreement with Marous Development, which owns and/or controls these longtime empty buildings, formerly housing Western Security Bank, Gail's Women's Clothes and Crosby Shoes.Marous representatives also vowed to commit an additional $5 million in private money so they can construct 20 apartments and three storefronts beside a new City Hall.Seven years after signing a lease, the city could buy and own all space it would occupy. A lease agreement must first occur so Marous executives can obtain tax credits for various building upgrades. Marous, and not the city, would own the storefronts and apartments.Commissioners supporting the plan — ex officio mayor Dennis Murray Jr., Dick Brady, Nikki Lloyd, Naomi Twine and Dave Waddington — believe relocating City Hall can not only reactivate empty structures but also serve as a spark plug for attracting new business and generating interest in downtown.All five also disapprove of pouring additional public funds into patching up the existing City Hall, a 60-year-old building.A Sandusky-hired firm recently described the Meigs Street structure as a severely outdated and inefficient property, posing numerous safety and energy-efficient shortcomings. Firm representatives said repairing City Hall would cost about $16 million, and that still wouldn't address each pressing issue."It's really crazy to invest more money into an old building with bad bones," Murray said. "Instead, and for just about the same amount of money, we are going to end up with a great facility, stimulate downtown development and have a new facility for the police and municipal court."Commissioners opposing the plan, Greg Lockhart and Wes Poole, raised numerous concerns, including with parking and finances."I am not convinced this is a good idea," Poole said. "We have too many gaps in this project. The talking heads and smart people are deciding we're gong to do this. I disagree with that."If all goes according to plan, officials could move into their new home by 2018.When administrative offices move downtown, the current City Hall waterfront site could become a park, public space or sold to a private developer.An ongoing study aims to establish strategies to best develop a 30-acre site, consisting of City Hall, Battery Park and the Sandusky Bay Pavilion. The study should wrap up sometime around late 2017. Commissioners will likely make a decision once the study becomes public.Before the move becomes official, commissioners:• Scheduled an additional vote on the matter, mostly serving as a formality, scheduled for 5 p.m. Sept. 12• Organized two public forums, for noon Sept. 7 and 6 p.m. Sept. 8, at the West Market Street fire station to answer questions and discuss the matter with community members. Making sense of the dollars and centsHere's an excerpt from a recent Register news story, explaining how Sandusky officials would fund the $18.5 million relocation plan for City Hall:Officials vowed against raising existing or introducing new taxes, rates or fees. They also promised to maintain current service and staffing levels before, during and after construction.They'll fund the project by shifting expiring debt — budgeted for other city buildings, which are almost paid off in full — toward the relocation plan.Delving a bit deeper:• City Hall: Lease payments average out to about $270,000 each year from 2017 through 2024. The city previously banked a $1.1 million federal grant, which will act as a down payment of sorts. In 2024, the city has an option to purchase and outright own this space at about $2.65 million.The apartments and storefronts are a separate venture, which will be built and operated by Marous.• Justice center: Debt payments average out to about $585,000 each year from 2020 through 2050. The court operation will commit $2.1 million in addition to pledging $165,000 annually in court fee payments.Note: The projections, which factor in total amount plus debt, are based on conservative estimates and could change based on interest rates and market factors Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel Related — Sandusky City Hall stories:• Sandusky finance committee supports City Hall move• New Sandusky City Hall vision takes shape• Inside the proposed Sandusky City Hall• The case for moving City Hall• Sandusky leaning toward leaving City HallSandusky city commissioners on Monday approved a City Hall relocation plan, which consists of moving administrative services into portions of the Kingsbury Building and former Calvary Temple structure (pictured). Earlier this month, community members toured the facilities during an open house event.An artist rendering reimagines what the new Sandusky City Hall could look like. An $18.5 million publicly financed plan calls for renovating the Calvary Temple church and Kingsbury buildings on Columbus Avenue and Washington Row near Small City Taphouse into a new administrative complex for city officials.