After aldermen approved a request to seek state funding for Starkville Police Department renovations at Tuesday's meeting, officials are looking for the best route forward to provide the department with a first class facility.
The board unanimously approved a proposal seeking $2.4 million in state funding to fill gaps in the project of $5.4 million to renovate the current facility at 101 E. Lampkin St. Mayor Parker Wiseman met with state House and Senate officials in Jackson on Wednesday to present the proposal and familiarize local delegates with the upcoming project.
"We had good meetings all day long," Wiseman said. "I felt like the meetings were positive and we will learn more over the next couple of weeks to a month."
Since 2000—spanning multiple boards—city officials looked to relocate the department, to no avail. Previous boards discussed purchasing property near the Highway 25 bypass, the new Family Dollar site on Highway 182, the current Starkville Daily News building and the former Bulldog Lanes building on Highway 12. The bowling alley was originally donated to the city but subsequently sold.
In 2010, the building on Lampkin Street was opened to the public to show residents the state of the building to highlight the need for a new facility.
Sitting board members pursued the downtown Cadence Bank property in July 2014 after bank officials listed the building for sale at $2.55 million. The following winter, the board advertised the former lagoon property off of Highway 12 and the current SPD facility in February 2015, but no bids were made on the locations. After failing to sell the properties, aldermen voted 4-3 to forgo purchasing the Cadence Bank facility and to start plans to renovate the current facility in May 2015.
The cost of renovating the Cadence Bank building after purchasing the facility to add all the needed elements was too high to proceed as a feasible option, according Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard.
In June of last year, aldermen approved a motion of intent to issue a $3 million renovation bond for the aging, former National Guard outpost. The building was given landmark status but is plagued by roof leaks and building code violations.
The state funding request is non-binding and would allow the board to pursue a brand new facility or purchase another piece of property, a move that could set the process back years.
At the Feb. 16 meeting, Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins outlined three possible options in light of a presentation by project architect Gary Shafer: renovate the current building, revisit purchasing the Cadence Bank facility or buy new property.
"At this point, with moving the project forward without any potential delay, it appears best to go ahead and have a full renovation of the existing building," Perkins said. "I threw the three options out just so we would know what we had available."
At Tuesday's meeting, Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver voiced support for keeping all options open—including purchasing an alternative facility—after receiving calls from constituents expressing concern over the renovation plan as being a "money pit."
Original renovation costs were pegged at $1.3 million, which increased to $3 million and now sit at the current $5.4 million total construction cost. Costs rose in part of the need to bring the building up to code, add a new roof, overhaul the parking facilities and exterior plaza while adding a completely new second floor for administrative offices.
Both Perkins and Carver spoke fondly of the Cadence facility, but Perkins noted the importance of expediting the process after spending nearly 23 years on the board with no real progress being made on getting officers a new home.
"The Cadence facility could even be mixed-use," Carver said. "You could lease out spaces in the downstairs to businesses and the upstairs could serve as the police facility. I think if you took the stairway out, the upstairs would be inaccessible unless you had a key or remote access to the elevator. It could be cheaper than this project."
Carver said he would wait until hearing back on the appropriations request to consider bringing any motion forward of exploring a new facility or revisiting the bank property. The board will hear back from legislators in April relating to the funding request.
"Cadence was a viable option but you really need five votes for that because the mayor might veto that," Perkins said. "I don't know. I think the Cadence option would still be a good option, but I am not the only voice at the table. We've debated this extensively. The renovation option is a viable option."
The revised project budget would include youth court services, a new second floor for administrative staff, plumbing, electric and fire protection code updates along with a host of exterior work including paving and striping with protected parking and a new sally port. The renovated facility would also include ADA access via the front plaza.
"This design would give us a great facility," SPD Chief Frank Nichols said at Tuesday's meeting. "It's time to stop talking about this."
Wiseman noted the importance of staying the course in the renovation process of the current downtown facility.
"It's the best route for us to pursue the full renovation process," Wiseman said. "The basis of the architectural program is that renovation construction is budgeted at two-thirds the cost of new construction."
Shafer confirmed the construction cost ratio and assured the board the $5.4 million figure was assessed and approved by project engineers, after he was questioned about further cost increases.
"I think we are really really close to getting this project done and I think it is going to be a fantastic project once it's finished," Wiseman said. "It will meet the needs of our police force in a first class manner and it's also going to completely restore a historic landmark in our community. It will add another key civic space in downtown Starkville."