Sandy Springs City Council approved an estimated $50.4 million cost to renovate and expand an office building at 620 Morgan Falls Road into its police headquarters and municipal courthouse.
The total price includes $3.6 million for the construction of a fleet maintenance facility at 8475 Roswell Road, City Council members were told at a meeting on May 30.
The direct construction costs are approximately $320,000 less than what was estimated in February.
Yara Rymer Bond of Jericho Design Group, the lead architect for the project, said the total project costs will be $61 million. That includes the original $11 million purchase price of the Morgan Falls Road property.
An additional 20,000 square feet of space will be added to the existing 110,000 square foot building, primarily creating space for the courthouse and building entrance.
An estimated $2.3 million was budgeted for furniture and equipment needed for the police headquarters and municipal courthouse, while a building security system contract estimated at $1.05 million will come back before the council at a later date.
Construction mobilization will begin in June, according to the timeline submitted to the city in the project update. Substantial completion is anticipated by December 2024.
The secured parking for Sandy Springs Police Department and Municipal Court employees will have approximately 150 spaces, Bond said. The public parking lot will have 57 spaces.
The project will realign the public entrance drive off Morgan Falls Road to align with Morgan Falls Place NE, which leads to the Morgan Falls Athletic Complex.
City Attorney Dan Lee questioned if the parking was adequate because defendants will use it as an excuse not to attend a court proceeding if they can’t find a parking space.
A section of the Morgan Falls Road property that isn’t being developed as part of this project is already paved for parking and can be used as overflow, Bond said.
Projected uses for the rest of the property include a future fire station and firearms training facility.
Since the police department and municipal court still need offices until the project is completed, the city also approved extending the lease of office space in the Morgan Falls Office Complex for its headquarters and courthouse.
The city budgeted $1.08 million to extend the lease, which expires June 30, until July 1, 2024. The agreement includes the option to extend the lease until July 1, 2025. This will ensure the police department and municipal court have space until the new offices at 620 Morgan Falls Road are completed.