MP school district?s central office, city hall will be on the move soon

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Come fall, you might notice some major changes in Mt. Pleasant.

No, a mega industry is not locating here, but there are two entities on the move, leaving a landmark building empty.

During a recent city council meeting, the council extended the school district?s lease of the community center/library building for nine months. However, both parties hope that city offices can move into the space now occupied by the Mt. Pleasant Community School District Central office long before the nine-month lease ends.

Interim Mt. Pleasant School District Superintendent John Roederer said school officials might know the new location of the central office in several weeks. ?We know the city would like us out by June 30,? he said.

Roederer said the district is in negotiations with an owner of an existing building in town that would have the room to house the central office.

?Right now, we are looking for a place to lease for the next two or three years,? Roederer said. ?The school board doesn?t want to undertake a big project for a central office because it wants to focus on air conditioning for the elementary schools.

?We have it (new central office space) narrowed down to one location but want the property owner to make a few repairs, and we also have to check the Internet connection in the building,? the superintendent continued. ?The (lease) price seems fair.?

City and school district officials entered into a 10-year lease in 2004 for the school district to house its central offices in what was the former high school. Since 2014, the city and school district have annually extended the lease.

Mt. Pleasant Mayor Steve Brimhall agreed with Roederer, that ?July 1 is the magic day? for the city to be able to move into the community center. ?We don?t want to move in the winter and leave this (current city hall) open.?

Brimhall and City Administrator Brent Schleisman insist they have no interested parties in the current city hall building, which was built in 1936 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

?We?re open to discussions with anybody for the re-use of city hall,? Schleisman said. ?It is a great location and has ample parking around it. Anyone who is interested can contact me, the mayor or any of the city council.?

Schleisman and Brimhall said they would like to see a non-profit agency locate in city hall. ?That (non-profit) would be our preference, but if we don?t have anybody step forward, we may sell it by auction,? Schleisman noted. ?We certainly want it re-used and would like it re-used by winter.?

Brimhall thinks there will be interest in the building ? at the right price. ?I think somebody would buy it if they could get it for a good price.?

Although city hall is in good condition currently, remodeling and renovations could be expensive because they would have to be done in accordance with the National Register of Historic Places rules and regulations to be kept on the register.

In addition to city offices, city hall at one time housed the police and fire departments and office of Mt. Pleasant Municipal Utilities.

Schleisman said the city wants to relocate its offices for a couple of reasons. First of all, the building is not handicapped accessible. Secondly, the city already owns the community center/library building and it is much easier to manage a building that you are located in, the city administrator said.

?It really makes sense to move to a building we own,? Schleisman noted. ?It would also be so much better for efficiency of the operation. It is tough to manage a large building and not be located in it. It has always been the wish of the city council to move our offices over there. It is just going to be hugely more efficient to use that facility.?

Since the city has owned the old high school, which was built in 1905 (several additions were built last year), it has spent $7 million in renovations to the 70,000 square-foot building. ?We basically had to gut it,? Schleisman explained.

The city is in the third year of a four-year exterior tuckpointing project, allocating $20,000 annually to tuckpoint the building. Funds for the tuckpointing are coming from city hotel/motel tax, the city administrator said. He said the roof also needs to be replaced on Cottrell Gymnasium, which is located in the northeast corner of the structure.

Once the school administration has moved from the community center, Schleisman thinks the city could move into the quarters within 30 days.

Roederer said part of him doesn?t want to give up his current quarters. ?It?s been a good 12 years with this facility. It is gorgeous and we have been spoiled. Our space here can?t be replicated elsewhere.?