It was an offer the Senoia City Council did not want to refuse. The council last week voted 4-1 to take the city’s Downtown Development Authority up on their offer to purchase the old police buildings on Main Street for $27,000. DDA will be responsible for the rehab work that will be needed.
The $27,000 cost for the circa 1912 buildings is close to the $24,000 price tag that would have been needed if the council had decided to demolish the buildings rather than rehab and lease them. DDA will be responsible for any work needed to mitigate the asbestos, lead paint and mold found in the buildings.
One of the buildings could be used as the Welcome Center, a move that would save the city half of the lease price it shares with DDA.
The question of what to do with the police department arose with its recent move to the new facility on Howard Road. Those discussions by the council led to the idea of having the old buildings evaluated so that council members would be better prepared to make a determination on the future of the structures.
The council prior to the DDA offer was considering options such as selling the buildings or rehabbing them for lease.
