County residents who have business with the local board of elections or veterans’ services will continue to visit the Henry A. Dennis building on Garnett Street. But one agency is scheduled to relocate to the former Eaton Johnson campus when that county complex is completed, which will allow for some shifting of office space at the Dennis building, built in 1911.
County Manger Jordan McMillen said the offices of Youth Services are scheduled to move out of the Dennis building to the renovated space on Beckford Drive.
“We have had discussions in the past as to whether the county would be willing to sell the building, but the consensus currently is to continue utilizing the building for office space,” McMillen told WIZS News Tuesday. Youth Services will move from the Dennis Building to the space adjacent to the gymnasium at Eaton Johnson, he said.
At present, that is the only planned move from the Dennis Building, he noted.
However, Juvenile Justice will expand into the space vacated by Youth Services.
Although elections board officials had expressed interest in moving from the building, that has changed and McMillen said that office will stay put. And he said the county also is working to remedy issues brought to its attention by juvenile justice staff which, upon completion, would allow them to remain housed in the Dennis Building.
Nobody can predict the future, but no other moves are planned at this time, he said.
According to information in the agenda packet for the Oct. 4 meeting, juvenile justice officials had mentioned health and safety issues, as well as a need for better and easier accessibility.
The building has no elevator and a steep staircase, but a follow-up inspection of the building completed on July 27 determined the staircase and building meet the intent of the life safety code and that an elevator is not required due to applicable codes when the building was constructed and last renovated. In addition, staff is working with an HVAC company to correct inadequate ductwork that adversely affects some office spaces in the building and following up on a quote from a lead abatement contractor to address painting needs. Also cited is a lack of confidentiality because of the way some offices and doors are configured. County staff is evaluating ways to improve confidentiality.
In other action, McMillen said the request for proposal was released today (Tuesday), following the board’s approval to bring in an engineer to design a speculative shell building as part of Phase III of the industrial park.
“The design is only the first step, and ultimately we would like to get to a construction phase, but realize construction pricing is challenging at the current moment,” McMillen said.
“I would anticipate having a design within six to eight months of authorizing the work, then receiving RFPs by the end of October,” he noted. At that point, staff will work with the commissioners about whether to proceed with the design.
The agenda information included that the design cost would be somewhere around $100,000 and could be covered with funds within the county’s economic development fund.
“Having a building design would assist in determining construction pricing and takes the next
step towards eventual construction,” the agenda packet read, and would put the county in a favorable position to entertain economic development projects.