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Consider Leasing Space for the Police Department and Continue the Brownfield Remediation at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
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Staff:
Department:
Chris Blue, Town Manager
Manager's Office
Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Deputy Town Manger
Celisa Lehew, Chief
Police Department
Amy Oland, Director
Business Management
Dwight Bassett, Director
Economic Development & Parking Services
Overview: For several years, we have searched for an adequate space to house our Police Department. The current facility is deteriorating and the cost of building a new Municipal Services Center (MSC) at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. would overwhelm the Town's borrowing capacity. The staff has identified a location with suitable leased space for the Police Department - the Parkline Building at 1830 Fordham Boulevard (former BCBS building). The space meets the department's needs and we recommend moving forward with a lease. Leasing space will have a smaller cost impact on the Town's Debt Service Fund than financing construction for a new Municipal Services Center and it solves the most critical need, the Police Department.
Recommendation(s):
That the Council support the Town Manager proceeding with leasing space for the Police Department while the staff continues working with the State Brownfields program at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Decision Points:
* Leasing space for the Police Department solves the most critical need in the most time efficient and cost-effective manner.
* Leasing space allows us time to determine what the best non-residential use of 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd is, after remediation.
* Preserving debt capacity allows us to remediate 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and pursue capital projects for other operations including Parks & Recreation and Fire.
Key Issues:
* Leasing can move quickly, with the possibility of having the Police Department in a new facility in about a year.
* Leasing will have an impact on the Town's available debt capacity fo...
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