Morton said a design firm is preparing renderings of the buildings so the estimated cost of construction is unknown. Earlier estimates were $15 million for the project.
If the Public Works buildings are located on the east side, Morton said the city could sell the remaining 96 acres, part of the 105 acres that were purchased last year for $3.1 million from Monroe Property LLC, to a developer for residential housing.
He said a “better use” of the west side property would be residential. Morton said the wetlands located on the property could be part of a residential development.
Constructing the Public Works buildings on the east side is the “best thing for the city,” Mortton said. That way, he said, a residential community on the west side would be located near other homes in the area.
He believes if the city wants for a developer to turn the west side into light industrial, the city may face a “bigger risk of sitting on the land” for years. He thinks the property would sell faster to a residential developer.
A residential community could provide the city “housing stock we don’t have,” according to Morton.
Vice Mayor Christine McElfresh believes the east side was “preferable” for the Public Works buildings.
Mayor Keith Funk told Morton council could vote on legislation at its next meeting in two weeks.
Morton earlier said the city anticipates keeping the existing Public Works facility on Holman Avenue for storage.
Acreage not used for the Public Works facility would be considered for future long-term development, city officials had said.
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