Subscribe
Jobs
Cars
Real Estate
Apts
Classifieds
Shop
If Mayor Tom Henry is serious about resurrecting the notion of moving out of the City-County Building, he needs to make a strong case for the move. Previous plans to move city departments into the empty Renaissance Square building have already been proposed, researched and rejected – for good reason.
Henry needs to prove that separating city and county offices at a time when progressive voices have called for more combinations will best serve taxpayers by being both cost-effective and convenient.
Though city and county governments cooperated in building and financing the building, county government controls it. City government each year pays its share of operating expenses and maintenance though a lease agreement.
In 2004, Mayor Graham Richard delayed renewing the city’s lease with the county and proposed moving city government offices to Renaissance Square, the former home of Lincoln National Corp.
In 2007, the city suggested co-locating the public safety departments in the Renaissace Square building.
Last year, a plan to move city police and the county sheriff’s department to the City-County Building and move city and county government offices to the vacant Renaissance building was quashed because the price was far too high.
A preliminary 2008 study from the city showed the cost of buying, renovating and moving government offices into the building was as much as $28 million.
The Henry administration needs to explain what has changed that makes the rejected plan a good idea now.
City Controller Pat Roller said the administration will be introducing a proposal to Fort Wayne City Council on Tuesday. In addition to the city departments now in the City-County Building, city police would also move into Renaissance Square.
Roller said, “It’s the economics of the deal” that make moving the city to the building a better option now. She said under the previous plan the city would have had to reimburse the county for space at the City-County Building as well as make payments for the purchase of Renaissance Square.
“This way we just have to pay debt service, and then we own the building after 20 years,” Roller said. She also said the purchase price has gone down. The average of two appraisals on the building is $7.3 million.
The city and county made recent progress in cooperation by consolidating city and county planning services, but much more progress is needed. Residents will justifiably ask what damage the Henry administration will do to city-county relations by moving out.
The continued failure of city and county officials to plan together for their space needs is appalling.
Before proceeding with a move, Henry needs to prove there are no better alternatives and give constituents the opportunity for feedback and debate.
