The Homer City Council made some progress towards a new police station Monday. The council passed a resolution contracting Stantec, an architecture firm that has worked on the project for three years, to produce a preliminary design for a $6 million police station at the corner of Heath Street and Grubstake Avenue, also known as the Waddell site.
The council hashed out the resolution, proposed by council member Donna Aderhold, during a work session and unanimously passed an amended version during its regular meeting.
The original resolution also included design work for a $9 million option at the Waddell site and an overhaul of the HERC building off Pioneer Avenue. Those designs were struck from the resolution after council member Heath Smith said the additional design work was unnecessary.
“A $9 million building, we already know it’s going to cost us more than we can afford to run. That’s why I want to see what we get for $6 million,” Smith said.
He added the council and the public already have a good idea of what a HERC redesign would look like.
Homer residents voted down a $12 million bond option to fund the overhaul last fall. City Manager Katie Koester told council members that converting the 60-year-old building into a police station could be brought down to $10 million, but complying with building and fire codes could make that figure a moving target.
“I’m as frustrated as you are with the different fire marshals at different times saying different things,” Koester explained. “If council has a concrete ask, it would not be that much of a stretch to say, ‘Have staff look into x exactly and bring back to us what that would cost.’”
There has also been public pushback against converting the HERC, but council members have voiced support for continued public access to the gym if they move forward with that option.
There is also concern over other unexpected costs associated with the HERC and Waddell sites. The HERC does have as asbestos and council members fear other issues and hazards may pop up. Koester explained the Waddell site also comes with some unknowns.
“Because we haven’t done any soil samples and we haven’t done any work on that site, we don’t know what we’re getting into,” she said. “So they really want to make sure that disclaimer is out there in case you do start digging and find some surprise.”
The design work is estimated to cost about $12,000. The resolution also allows the council to contract a local facilitator to help them compare the options and come to an agreement on a location if necessary.
