Gladstone breaks ground on new public works facility
Author
Raymond Rendleman
Date published
August 16, 2023
View Original Article
Gladstone elected officials donned hardhats and wielded sledgehammers on Aug. 16 to break ground on the city’s new Public Works building.
In November 2021, nearly 68% of Gladstone voters approved a ballot measure to authorize replacement of the city's approximately 50-year-old Public Works building without raising taxes. Constructed since the mid-1970, the current Public Works departmental headquarters has served to maintain streets, water, sanitary sewer and stormwater systems.
“The new facility will improve the department’s ability to function efficiently while growing to meet the needs of the community,” said Mayor Michael Milch at the groundbreaking ceremonVoters were required to weigh in on the project because Gladstone's City Charter mandates voter approval to incur debt or to construct any public building that costs $1 million or more.
Gladstone's $5 million replacement building is expected to be constructed and placed in operation by 2023. To pay back the construction costs, the city will distribute financial obligations across five departments (streets, sewer, water, storm and parks). The annual cost impact for 20 years will fall approximately 10% on the parks department ($36,269) and 22.5% for the four other departments at $81,605 each annually.
City officials said that historic low interest rates offered a "unique opportunity" to borrow funds at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. The project would also provide savings of $500 per month for the rental of a temporary modular building that currently houses Public Works staff on-site.
Located on Portland Avenue, the Public Works building is designated as a critical facility to "protect citizens, critical facilities, infrastructure, private property and the environment from natural hazards" but doesn't meet FEMA standards for emergencies like the February 2021 ice storm. The building lost power for four days, making access difficult to equipment and supplies, forcing city employees to work from their vehicles to address problems with streets, sewers and water lines.
Architects and engineers determined that constructing a new building at the same site, which is already owned by the city, would be more cost-effective than rehabilitating Gladstone's existing building.
