The City Council voted to authorize City Manager Morgan Smith to execute a letter of intent with CHI Franciscan Health for the $8.975 million purchase of the Harrison Medical Center Building, located at 8804 Madison Ave N, for a new police and municipal court facility.
“This is an important milestone in our work to plan for the replacement of one of the most essential facilities in our community,” said City Manager Morgan Smith.
During her comments to the Council, Smith said she expects the City can deliver a successful retrofit of the building with a target budget of $20 million and some careful management of key decisions.
“Moving forward with this project is, in my opinion, an important example of the City meeting our responsibility to plan for the future and critical infrastructure in an organized and proactive way, meeting our commitment to provide high quality policing services, and doing so in a way that is financially prudent,” said Smith.
The Council action now allows Smith to sign a letter of intent to purchase the property from CHI Franciscan Health. The Council will next consider approval of a formal purchase and sale agreement. The City anticipates that agreement will be ready for Council consideration within a few weeks.
Learn about the history of the Police and Municipal Court Facility project here:
http://www.bainbridgewa.gov/528/Police-Facility-Planning
Watch the Jan. 29 City Council discussion here: http://bainbridgewa.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=76