A degrading wall in the Burlington Police Building
Burlington voters will get to decide whether or not to authorize the city to purchase and renovate the US Bank Building for use as a new police station, following a decision by the City Council on Monday.
The police department is currently housed in a building first built in the 80’s–the 1880’s, that is–and it’s not even supposed to still be there. The department moved to the building in 1993 after it’s former building on Valley Street was damaged by floodwater, and it was supposed to be only a temporary, stop-gap arrangement until they could be moved to a new facility. Police Chief Doug Beaird.
“The building was designed as a temporary place for us to be. A place to store us, a place to work out of. It was never meant to be a fully functional police department, and it lacks it in every way, shape, or form,” Beaird said.
The current building on third street is plagued by problems, including walls that are bowing out, exterior surface cracks, internal structural damage and heating and cooling issues. There is even concern that one of the walls is in danger of falling into the alley nearby. There isn’t any covered parking, which means that officers have to dig their cars out of the snow during the winter before responding to calls. The internal layout of the facility means that evidence takes longer to process.
60% of Burlington voters will have to approve the $4 million loan agreement during the November 3rd general election. Mayor Pro-Temp Becky Anderson says that the city will use funds from a $1 million loan payoff from the company that currently owns Newberry Village apartments, as well as some reserve funds in order to keep the renovation costs as low as possible.
The US Bank Building currently houses the Des Moines County Attorney’s Office, who just rented more space in the building. The County Attorney used to be housed in the same building the police department occupies.
The council also evaluated several other locations, including building a new facility on the corner of Curran and Agency, moving in to the former Tom’s market building, or demolishing the current building and building a new one. All of those options were assessed to be more expensive than the US Bank option.
The new debt would raise city property taxes by 37 cents per $1,000 in assessed valuation on a 20 year bond.
