VISITOR CENTER RENOVATIONS—Transparency & Media Coverage
The cost of the new visitor center at Executive Plaza is a good
case study of government transparency and the current state of press coverage
in the city. Reality does not align with the press releases and reporting. The approved budget was $1.48 million,
covering renovations and lease payments. The actual cost is just over $2.8
million.
In a recent news story, it was reported that most of the $2.43
million cost for the new visitor center renovation came from the sale of the
old visitor center. What was not
reported was that the original budget for the project was $1.35 million
including lease payments to the EDA. And what was the original financing plan
and timeline for the project?
When the City Council voted to sell the visitor center, the
staff report noted that proceeds from the sale and a $210,000 state grant would
cover the renovation costs. The report
noted, “Hence the total budget available for the construction of the new space
is $1.35 million. “Staff is comfortable that this is sufficient to build a
best-in-class Visitor Center.” No
general fund revenues were going to be spent.
The actual cost has exceeded this budget by over a million dollars and
general funds were spent. But did the city really have $1.35 million to spend?
It was reported that the city was leasing the old visitor center
while renovations were ongoing, but no specifics or project timeline were
provided. When the council voted to sell the visitor center in August of 2022
staff noted that, “The City would strive to occupy the new space by Dec. 1,
2023.” The project is a year behind schedule. And at what cost?
The city’s lease payment to the Economic Development Authority
(EDA) for the use of the old visitors center was $9,984.22 a month. Based on
the December 2023 completion date $116,321 was deducted from the sale proceeds
to cover the lease payments. However, due to the delay in completing the
renovations, the payments to the EDA totaled roughly $176,000 and a further
$60,000 will be paid through November to the new owner. That is roughly
$120,000 over the proposed lease budget.
In addition to the lease payments, there is the renovations for
the Economic Development Department, which also had to be moved with the sale
of the old visitors center, which added $150,022 to the cost. So, the total
cost to the city for the project was $2.8 million not $1.48 million per
proposed budget including the expected lease payment deficit of $1.32 million
to be covered by city taxpayers. This for a project that wasn’t supposed to
cost city taxpayers anything.
At a time when
taxes and fees are going up, council members lament delays because of a lack of
staff, and with vacancies in police and fire, residents deserve to be better informed
about how their tax dollars are being spent. In these situations, the city
should explain delays and cost overruns and their impacts and local media
should be reporting on them.
A view of the new
technology and hallway looking towards the front entrance.
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