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Hays County CommissionersPosted April 8, 2007, 3:30 a.m.
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It appears, at long last, that the Hays County commissioners will decide this week on the site of a new facility for county offices. The commissioners placed an item on Tuesday’s agenda to possibly approve a site and authorize Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe to negotiate a deal
Three different commissioners courts have around the idea of a government center for five years the hope that, someday, the county’s various agencies can work under one roof. Presently, county agencies are spread out among several buildings while growth in service requirements keeps officials scurrying for additional rental space.
The county is considering a 180,000-square-foot facility that would be expandable to 360,000 square feet. However, commissioners courts have done more talking than acting for the last five years, during which the price rose from a $33.4 million estimate quoted to the commissioners in 2002 to at least $61.6 million, which was quoted to the court last July.
As steel and concrete become more expensive while contractors overload their books with business and the price of a facility rises accordingly, the new court is trying to pick a site.
As of the summer of 2002, the county favored 10 acres on the site of the old Hays County hospital between Thorpe Lane and IH-35. That site still is in play, though as a possible bargaining chip for a better site.
Carson Properties has offered to trade 26 acres off Wonder World Drive for the hospital property, which is near Carson's Springtown shopping center. A building committee chaired by Ingalsbe has come out in favor of the Wonder World site.
Another contender is a deal proposed by developer Scott Gregson, who is reportedly willing to swap 20 acres near Hunter Road, on the former Trico plant site, for the county's downtown office buildings that would be vacated when those functions move to a new facility. Among the buildings in such a trade would be the courthouse annex, the justice center and the records building. The county courthouse on the town square would not be included.
Carson also has reportedly offered a trade with the county for it's downtown properties.
Though the building committee favors the Wonder World Drive site, County Judge Liz Sumter and Precinct 4 Commissioner Karen Ford reportedly said they would like to consider the Hunter Road site. Sumter is said to be taken by the possibility that a rail station fits into the design.
Hays County Sheriff Allen Bridges reportedly favors the Hunter Road site because he's concerned that six of the 26 acres on the Wonder World Drive site are in the 100-year flood plane. He would like to establish an emergency command center that won't be crippled by a 100-year flood, of which there have been two in the last nine years.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Conley reportedly favors the Wonder World Drive site. However, he is not in favor of trading properties with developers. Conley has said the county should put its properties up for competitive bidding.
The county could buy either of the contending sites outright. The Hunter Road site would cost $2.35 million, with another $1.55 needed to site preparation, utilities and parking so building could begin. The Wonder World Drive site would cost $4.62 million for the land, utility lines and parking.
The county could defray those costs by selling the properties proposed in possible trades with developers. The hospital property reportedly is appraised at $1.8 million, and the downtown properties would fetch an additional amount.
