Photo provided A view of the building at 1350 Arcadia Drive that the city is considering purchasing and retrofitting for a new public works facility.
Columbus City Council members on Tuesday night will consider a resolution that would sign off on the purchase of property to be used as the potential site of a new public works facility, along with associated renovation costs.
The expenditure would total about $8.7 million for the new facility that public works officials said have been needed for a decade-plus.
Director of Public Works Bryan Burton said in May that his department had significantly outgrown capacity at the 3-acre facility at 740 S. Mapleton St.
Resolutions only need consent from council members once to be fully approved. Any expenditure greater than $500,000 requires city council approval.
The new facility would be located at 1350 Arcadia Drive — council members will vote on whether to give their stamp on the purchase of the site, which the Columbus Redevelopment Commission approved a purchase and sales agreement for on May 20. The agreement was for $2.6 million, plus an additional $25,000 for closing costs.
The redevelopment commission during their meeting on August 19 heard about a schematic design for the facility and the estimated associated costs to make it a reality.
The new facility would be about three times bigger and have a maintenance area with 10 service bays. The facility would be able to house all of the department’s transit buses and also have a storage barn, along with a fuel island. It was estimated by Force Design that the upgrades to the site would cost an amount not to exceed $6.1 million, which council members will also vote on whether to approve.
The Columbus City Council will meet Tuesday night at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at city hall.
