“We've been discussing this for months and years,” councilman David Malone said. “I propose that we take the building committee's recommendation for the Adelphia building.”
The proposal will be given a first reading at the June 11 City Council meeting. The council could give it one, two or three readings before passage.
City Council also could decide against the former Adelphia building at any time during those readings.
President Howard Baughman formed a committee last year to help choose a location for a new city building. The committee recommended the former Adel-phia building after voters rejected renovating the former Mar-ting's Department Store building.
A California doctor donated the Adelphia property to the city.
Baughman said it will cost about $10.4 million to build at the site. The city also must acquire nearby property.
“I am pleased that we're moving on,” Baughman said. “We sat here in this heat tonight because we can't turn the air conditioners on because of our PA system.”
The 3-hour meeting was conducted in sweltering heat because the air conditioner makes a recording of the meeting inaudible.
“You're looking at the ceiling falling down and it rains in the judge's quarters and these courtrooms,” Baughman said. “It's an unhealthy place for our city employees to work. It is time to move on and create an atmosphere for our employees and the people that do business with the city to have a place where they can go that is structurally sound and efficient to run.”
However, Baughman said he would prefer renovating the former Marting's building, a position he has long held.
“It's just time to move on though,” he said. “We've got too many excellent, positive forward-thinking things going on in the city.”
The city still must try to sell the former Marting's building in order to receive $1.4 million from the Richard D. Marting Foundation.
That is part of the $1.9 million the city paid for the building in 2002.
The city will get 40 percent of the money to build on Washington Street, Baughman said.
Vice President Marty Mohr and councilman Bob Mollette voted against the former Adelphia building. Mollette said he wants to look at the costs of renovating the current municipal building on Second Street or building a new building at the site first.
Mohr said building at the former Adelphia site will cost several million dollars more than the estimated $5 million to $7 million to renovate the former Marting's building.
“Until our community pays attention to what people say about healing and not liking people for what they think or believe in, I guess it's going to cost us millions,” Mohr said.
In other business, City Council passed ordinances:
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