From the SUWNY Front Page Article
Sale of Colecraft building encouraged by Lancaster Town Board
By Lee Chowaniec
At Monday evening’s work session, Supervisor Robert Giza informed Town Board members that he had received a call from a company interested in leasing part of the Colecraft building (police facility) at 3949 Walden Avenue.
Purchased by the Town in 2003 to house the newly combined Lancaster Town and Village police forces, the Colecraft building has not been refurbished and currently houses only the Detective Squad.
After spending tens of thousands of extra dollars on studies-after the purchase.
Giza said the interested company employs 30-40 workers. He said that he had promised the company representative that he would bring it to the attention of the board. “We still need space for the detectives and storage.”
Will the "interested company" receive anything from the LIDA?
What is being stored there-besides detectives?
Giza said that that a building tour was conducted. “They liked the building, but no price had been discussed.” If the board members were not interested, he would make that known to the interested party.
Councilman Dan Amatura asked whether they were interested in buying the building.
He voiced concerns on how the detectives would react should the building be shared.
They (police) are pressuring us for a central location, but like I said I don’t think they would be too happy sharing a building.
Why should we be pimping out part of the police building to pay for the mistakes of idiots? Wouldn't look too good would it? It's kind of like having Joe's Hospital and Bait Shoppe.
Council members Donna Stempniak and Ronald Ruffino also seemed cool to the idea of leasing part of the building. They suggested Giza pursue selling the building.
They also voted to buy it in the first place, didn't they?
Giza did say that he mentioned to the interested party on what the town had paid for the building and what they would want.
So, then he must want to sell it too. Do you think they told him he was stupid for buying it in the first place?
Ruffino declared that he appreciated the sensitivity, but that perhaps the interested party might be interested in purchasing the building and renting the other half out.
I hope the "interested company does a feasibility study first. Unlike...well, you know...
Discussion then ensued on the process that would have to be followed to sell the building – formally putting it up for bid, like the library sale.
Wait... Giza was having a discussion about price and what the town would want for the building a few sentences earlier. Is the Supervisor not familiar with the process?
Ruffino interjected that there are things to consider and also lamented that the building was price effective because of what it had been purchased for in 2003 and what it would have cost to refurbish the building for shortly thereafter.
Price effective?????? You'd think that for what was paid for the feasibiity studies that he would have had the decency to read them.
“Now, are we looking at building another one,” Ruffino questioned. He voiced concerns on what that cost would involve.
Note to town board/banker guy: It would have been cheaper to build five years ago.
Amatura responded that they would be looking at building new if the town owned the property it would be located on. “That would lower the costs.”
If the town owns the land already, otherwise it would need to be purchased, wouldn't it?
The Colecraft building was purchased in 2003 for $1.6 million. The town bonded for $1.9, using the difference to purchase the building furniture available.
This area has a real jones for furniture.
The town is currently paying $60,000 in yearly interest fees on the police-building bond in addition to whatever involved building energy and repair costs there are.
Resident opposes leasing
At the 2-09-08 Town Board meeting, resident Dan Beutler asked then on the status of the Colecraft building. “I heard rumors that you are interested in selling it. Are you selling it?”
Supervisor Robert Giza responded: “I’ll be honest with you. I had one party interested in purchasing it. I wasn’t against it.”
Then why did he buy it?
Giza went on to say that there is some property available on Pavement Road, up in front by the Psyche Center to build a police station. “When Former Police Chief Fowler was in office, he didn’t think it was big enough to put a police station in.”
“Current Police Chief Gary Stoldt, one of his Captain’s and I looked at it and we think we could build a nice police station there and use the current police building for storage, which is a couple feet away from there.”
Here's an idea, how about finding a parcel where everything could go? Then sell the current parcel to a McMansion developer. Come to think of it, if they hadn't overdeveloped the town so fast, there would have been an adequate sized parcel available. You snooze you lose.
Giza told Beutler that as recently as a couple of days ago, there was a person that wants to lease it for ten years. “If that were the case, we would recover all, if not more, than the money we paid for the building in seven to ten years. That’s were we are right now.”
Is it seven, or is it ten? After all of this, it seems he's still not doing the math.
Beutler voiced concerns even then regarding the leasing of the building. “The town owns the building and doesn’t pay property taxes. Will the party leasing the building be exempt from paying the $200,000 yearly property taxes that are due? That would be $2 million over ten years!”
As mentioned before, would it be a gift from the LIDA?
Beutler takes the same stance today and adds, “Truth be told, many residents favored the construction of a new build when the police forces were merged in 2003."
"They voiced opposition to the purchase of a warehouse that would need costly repairs and replacements; estimated anywhere from $9 million to $11 million according to the feasibility studies performed several years ago.”
"The police should have been in a new building years ago. But hey, they don’t listen to the residents anyhow.”
They listen, they just don't hear.
If the detectives are willing to share the building, I'm still looking for a location to open my gay bathhouse. Would it fit the zoning? (that's a joke-they don't deny rezones in Lancaster) Maybe I should call Marrano about the Neighborhood Business zone too?
Come on Bob, let's open the bidding and paint this town pink!
___________________________________
"It's a perfect example of you need to get out and vote because all your votes count".
Mark Montour- Democratic, Republican, Independence, Conservative and Working Families parties candidate for Lancaster Town Justice
"I don't think it was luck" -Donna Stempniak, unopposed candidate for Lancaster Town Council on winning re-election.
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Originally Posted by Foot Fungus
The cost is mounting dailey !
