By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
In a way, the City of Decatur seems to be outgrowing itself. A the need for more equipment and more modern equipment continues on an annual basis, and so too does the storage space it requires.
City officials have been talking for more than a year about such a need, and the latest discussion came at the recent meeting of the city’s board of works and safety.
Operations Manager Jeremy Gilbert (photo) proposed to the board that a new building measure 80 feet by 200 feet. Though a proposed design is not yet complete, Gilbert said of the cost for such a new building, “We’re probably talking in the $400,000 to $500,000 range.”
One fortunate aspect is that no land purchase will be necessary as there is plenty of room at the city’s Elm St. property.
“We have lots of stuff outside that needs to be inside; we’re just running out of room,” Gilbert told the board. Included in that which stays outside is some very expensive equipment.
If anything, the city could soon be losing storage space. The old building on Grant St. was sold to the Adams County Regional Sewer District nearly two years ago. The sale stipulated that the city would have all it owns out of the building by March of 2024.
County officials are not be pushy on the date, but at sometime in the near future it’s going to have to be completely evacuated.
The old building by the city pool and the former Mark’s Heating & Air Conditioning building on First St. are also used for storage. But the city-owned Mark’s building is deteriorating rapidly, with a roof that’s caving in.
“I just need feedback on whether to move forward” with more design, gathering quotes, etc., Gilbert told the board. He was given the green light to do so.
Meanwhile, city officials will have to begin thinking about how to fund such a project.