The Edmond Sun

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July 29, 2008

Council OK’s site for Public Safety Center

James Coburn

EDMOND — The Edmond City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve Barnett Field at Kelly Avenue and Main Street as the site for the new Public Safety Center. The City of Edmond’s proposed ad valorem tax, a 10-year bond, will go to a vote of the people on Nov. 4. A price tag of $31.5 million was also approved by the Council.

A number of sites downtown had also been considered for the Public Safety Center. However, Barnett Field was chosen because the 5-acre site allows for future construction growth and would be less expensive to build on than sites downtown, said Mayor Dan O’Neil at a Council workshop Monday night to consider options for the center.

“In a perfect world, (downtown) is where I would want it to be,” said City Councilwoman Elizabeth Waner. “I will support the Kelly and Main location.”

The current police station location at 23 E. First St. was deemed inadequate due to its configuration and limited space after a 2005 needs assessment study. And Council members agreed that waiting any longer will only increase the cost of the project.

“These are difficult times,” O’Neil said last night. “And it’s hard to speculate. It’s not a stable economy that we have right now.”

During the workshop, project architect Philip McNayr, representing Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates, said the Nov. 2007 draft estimate of $27 million for the center has increased to $31.4 million — an estimate that is good through 2008, he said. The expense is $1.3 million less than what was on the board two weeks ago in small group meetings.

“Commercial construction escalation is rampant right now,” McNayr said. “All the contractors are busy. They’re flush with work.”

McNayr removed $1 million from the Police Department Fixtures Furniture and Equipment and the public art allowance cost estimates. In addition, the facility’s size has reduced from nearly 109,000 square feet to a projected 83,000 square feet, McNayr said.

During the workshop, Edmond attorney Barry Rice argued that the University of Central Oklahoma had not been brought into formal discussions regarding the project. However, Edmond Police Chief Bob Ricks told The Edmond Sun that UCO had been thoroughly consulted throughout the process.

“Steve Kreidler, who’s the vice president for operations at UCO, was on our committee for the selection of the site and the way of financing it,” Ricks said.

Setting the bond for 10 years will increase the property tax of a $100,000 home by about $500 for that period, City Treasurer Stephen Schaus said at the workshop. The median price of a home in Edmond is $234,000.

“For a $100,000 home, the first year you would pay initially about $70 additional tax,” Schaus said. “…That would decrease to $67 and by the year 10, that would be down to $48.”

Councilman Charles Lamb said the project remains in the concept stage with a lot of detail yet to be resolved. And Councilman Wayne Page said the project has been a difficult one for the Council.

“I think we need to move forward,” he said. “And I think we’ve accomplished a monumental task by being able to put this motion to bed.”

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