Council mulls future of old city building

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook City Council found themselves in uncharted waters Monday evening, faced with multiple options related to the future of a now-vacant city building. Councilors heard presentations from two groups wishing to lease the former Public Safety Center and indicated consideration was also being given to keep the building for indoor storage of city vehicles.

City fire, police and administration departments relocated to a new building in 2013, opening up Memorial Auditorium on West Fifth Street and the Public Safety Center a block away on West B Street. The auditorium has since leased space in the basement to a local theatre group, which also utilizes the stage area for prop construction and rehearsals. A significant amount of office space remains vacant in the auditorium building, however, prompting City Council members to regularly lobby the public for ideas and tenants.

The Red Willow County Sheriff's Department temporarily utilized the Public Safety Center while a new jail was being constructed, which opened for business in September. The transitional tenant provided city officials with a grace period to determine the future of the building and until recently it appeared likely to be sold.

A Lincoln area non-profit group and a McCook small business presented their individual plans for the Public Safety Center Monday evening. City Manager Nate Schneider said he toured 2 to 3 prospective buyers through the building in recent months and other department heads had coordinated at least two similar tours. He said city staff looked into having a market analysis completed for the building, however, finding comparables for the unique structure quickly became a problem. Schneider said a paid appraisal was likely the best option to gauge the resale value of the property.

The owner of Pride N Joy Auto Detail, Mark Carman, said he was interested in a long-term lease or purchase of the building so he could expand his auto detailing business. Carman said the former fire department bays would be an ideal fit for his business, with little changes required. He planned to rent out additional office space and meeting rooms in the building and was considering renting out the former jail area as secure storage.

"Lots of folks have a hard time finding meeting space in McCook," said Carman.

Carman touted McCook as a quality place to a raise a family and start a business. He said the city building would provide him with an opportunity to expand his business, as well as allow him to provide affordable space in the community for others looking to come back and start up there own business.

A representative from the Lincoln-area nonprofit group, Prairie Gold Homes, was joined by a liaison with the Nebraska Department of Corrections to reaffirm their desire to lease the building. The nonprofit group requested a one year rent-free lease of the building earlier this month.

Prairie Gold Homes constructs on-site and modular homes utilizing a select group of inmates and partners in the construction and housing industry. The Executive Director for the nonprofit, Renee Bauer, touted their ability to provide quality job training options to inmates and affordable housing to rural Nebraska, in addition to four full-time jobs in McCook.

The Department of Corrections liaison, Mark Wentz, touted the successful partnership between the state and the nonprofit group and recapped inmate requirements to participate in the program. Wentz said program instructors were well trained and he had also received a commitment from the warden at the Work Ethic Camp that training would be available for new hires.

Mayor Mike Gonzales said councilors were faced with three options, sell the building, lease it to a nonprofit or a private business, or keep it for city storage.

Councilman Gene Weedin said he would like to have the building appraised and find out what its worth.

Councilman Jerry Calvin said housing has been an issue for several years and he believed leasing the building to Prairie Gold Homes was the best option. Calvin said the program would benefit both the local housing shortage as well as those lobbying to expand the Work Ethic Camp, given the additional inmate training option.

Calvin praised Pride N Joy Auto Detail for their desire to expand locally and said he hoped the McCook Economic Development Corp. could assist them in finding an alternate location. Calvin also said he didn't believe spending $2,500 for an appraisal of the building was necessary.

Councilman Bruce McDowell suggested asking the Red Willow County Appraiser for the assessed value of the building, as opposed to paying for an appraisal. McDowell said he was in agreement that housing was a priority and the nonprofit's ability to provide in-fill housing was particularly appealing. McDowell also praised the program's ability to provide skilled training to inmates and positively influence recidivism rates.

Mayor Gonzales asked city staff to contact the county appraiser and bring the item back as an action item during the Feb. 2 City Council meeting. Gonzales indicated councilors would decide at that time which direction to proceed.

City Manager Nate Schneider added Prairie Gold Homes would need to request a special exception from the Planning Commission, given the commercial zoning in place, if they were approved as the future tenant.