Lexington, KY - Deep inside Mayor Jim Newberry's proposed budget presented Tuesday to council is a request for $4 million this year and $60 million the next to "Construct new City Hall Complex in downtown Lexington."
The line, near the bottom of the 570th page of his 573 page budget proposal seeks to address one of the mayor's top complaints since running for office in 2006: bringing city services under one roof.
Currently LFUCG occupies three different office buildings throughout the downtown, all of which are in dire need of repair, according to Newberry. "It is a very expensive proposition to continue utilizing the buildings we've got and I hope we'll be able to start saving a little money," he told Business Lexington Wednesday.
The mayor's proposed budget presented Tuesday is relatively thin on capital improvement projects totaling $83,747,550 with the only line items costing more than $4 million (the price tag to design and plan for construction of the new city complex) comes in the form of sewer system projects mandated by the city's settlement with the EPA. Those sewer projects would be paid for by dedicated funds from a proposed storm water run-off fee.
Newberry said the earliest construction could start on a new government complex would be at least 18 months away, but he would like to prepare the city to start construction as soon as money for the project is allotted. "We just recently put out for consideration by a number of firms an RFP for design services and we wanted to put into the budget enough money to cover what we think we might need those two years in case we do, if we actually get into it," he said.
Beyond designing the new complex, part of the $4 million requested for this year would be used to determine where to locate it. The line item in the budget does specify downtown, but Newberry said: "we haven't put any constraints on the site location, so I guess it is fair to say every piece of real estate in Fayette County is subject to consideration," though he would prefer it be in the city's inner core.
The mayor was quick to shoot down a popular rumor that the demolition of the block bordered by Limestone, Upper, Main and Vine for the CentrePointe project was a ploy to build a new government center on that block. But he didn't rule out the possibility of locating the new government center there.
"There is no particular attention being paid to the CentrePointe plot. It's a very expensive piece of property, needless to say and I think we have several much more desirable sites," he said.
Top of his personal list is the current site of the county clerk's office, police headquarters and the crumbling Annex parking garage. "I've heard a number of compelling reasons to be there, I haven't heard any compelling reasons not to be there. We may ultimately in time find a more attractive site, but if I had to make a decision now that would be where I'd go."
Newberry said the only drawback to that site is the fact LFUCG does not have enough available space to relocate the displaced offices during the project.
Newberry's budget is in the hands of council and a final budget must be adopted before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.