NIAGARA COUNTY
Legislators’ plan seeks to avoid costly new building
Published: July 24, 2009, 12:30 am
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LOCKPORT — Two Lockport legislators are proposing Niagara County departmental moves that they say would avoid having to build a $42 million Public Works headquarters or repair the broken-down ventilation system at an old county-owned building.
In resolutions for Tuesday’s County Legislature meeting, Legislators Anthony J. Nemi and W. Keith McNall are asking County Manager Gregory D. Lewis to report on the feasibility of taking over the former state Department of Transportation garage on West Avenue.
Also, they want a report on moving the Health and Mental Health departments and the county records storage facility to the city-owned Harrison Place, the former Harrison Radiator plant at Walnut and Washburn streets.
Charles Sheifer, chief of the Bureau of Land Management for the state Office of General Services, said the county could get the old DOT garage for $1.
That’s a lot cheaper than the dormant $42 million plan for a new Public Works headquarters on Junction Road in Cambria.
“I don’t think the taxpayers can afford bonding a $40 million project,” Nemi said.
Under state law, its real estate can be given to a local government for several uses, including transportation, with the approval of the commissioner of general services.
“It fits perfectly,” Sheifer said. The county could keep the West Avenue property as long as it kept using it for highway equipment. When the county stopped that use, the land would revert to state ownership.
“I’d rather pump $2 million or $3 million or $4 million into that,” Nemi said. “We could get 15 or 20 years out of it.”
Lewis declined to comment. “I’ll wait and see what transpires,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see how the debate comes out.”
Public Works Commissioner Kevin P. O’Brien said a feasibility study would be all right. He said he toured the DOT building years ago and didn’t recall details. He said it is larger than the current county garage on South Niagara Street.
In a committee meeting Tuesday, Nemi cast the only vote against awarding a $278,000 bid to replace the heating and air conditioning system in the Shaw Building, home to the Health and Mental Health departments.
Shaw is part of the Mount View campus, which the county is currently offering for sale for $6 million. “Why should we pump money into a building we’re trying to sell?” Nemi asked.
He and McNall suggest shifting the two departments to Harrison Place, where the city is looking for more tenants.
Mayor Michael W. Tucker said, “It would be big for us. It would bring another 100 people downtown.”
McNall said, “The Shaw Building, at this point in time, I don’t think is anything to be investing in.”
Public Health Director Daniel J. Stapleton said, “I understand his concern. I don’t want to spend taxpayer money unnecessarily, but my concern is making sure the staff of the Health Department who work in the Shaw Building are safe.”
He said fixing the ventilation system is an immediate need, but Nemi said, “If we can work something out with the city, we could be in [Harrison Place] in six months.”
Mental Health Director Antoinette Lech warned, “We operate a licensed adult mental health clinic in the Shaw Building.” Any move would require state approval and compliance with regulations for room size, privacy and access, she said.
McNall and Nemi also want to clean out the two records storage buildings on Davison Road and move the contents into the huge expanse of Harrison Place’s 473,000 square feet.
County Clerk Wayne F. Jagow conceded that would place the records closer to other county departments, but he said he wants properly climate-controlled space. A new records facility was supposed to be part of the Junction Road Public Works complex.
tprohaska@buffnews.com
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