| City
seeks partner for new city hall
By
Tara Nelson
The city is looking to pursue a public-private partnership
to develop a concept to replace its crumbling city hall.
At
their regular meeting Monday, Blaine City Council gave
city manager Gary Tomsic permission to develop a request
for proposals from the private sector and advertise to developers
who might be interested in a joint mixed-use venture. The
project would replace the current city hall, which is laced
with black mold and lacking in adequate space. The new building
is tentatively planned for the current site of the Blaine
City Hall and library.
Tomsic said in September 2006, the
city was contacted by Tony Melnechuk of T-Square Construction
Management Company in Ferndale with a proposal to construct
an new city hall and library in exchange for the air rights
on the property.
Several meetings have taken place since
then, culminating in the council action to move forward
with the idea, he said.
Melnechuk appeared before the council
during a study session prior to Monday’s meeting
and presented a general overview of his proposal.
Tomsic
said he had researched the general concept with several
experts including legal advisors and, though the details
of the project are yet to be developed, he thinks there
are a variety of ways to work out a partnership between
the city and private developer.
Council member John Liebert
asked if it was possible to skip the process that would
open the bidding to other contractors out of concern for
timeliness.
“I know I taught democracy at the high school,
but dictatorship is so much more effective,” he said.
Later,
however, he amended his statement: “a gentle
dictatorship, though.”
The council, however,
decided that rather than enter into an exclusive
contract to work with T-Square Construction
Management, the council voted to open the opportunity to
all investors and developers interested in
working with the city. |
