Moscow police facility expected to be more expensive

The proposed Moscow Police Department building on the south edge of Moscow is expected to be a different size and more expensive than city officials expected because of significant construction cost increases, according to Bill Belknap, deputy city supervisor of community planning and design.

The current plans call for a 16,500-square-foot facility and 2,700-square-foot outbuilding, costing $8.49 million on the corner of South Main Street/U.S. Highway 95 and Southview Avenue, Belknap told the Moscow City Council Public Works/Finance Committee meeting Monday at City Hall.

When residents passed the bond last year to fund the construction of a new police station, the main facility was anticipated to be 16,000 square feet and the outbuilding 4,000 square feet, for a total cost of $7.89 million.

During the design phase after the bond passed, the building plans grew to 17,682 square feet and the outbuilding increased to 4,200 square feet to ensure the facility met the MPD’s long-term needs, Belknap said. The project estimate at that time ballooned to $10.5 million.

Belknap said engineers went back to the drawing board and reduced the proposed structure sizes and building materials to bring costs down all while not affecting the functional needs of the department.

He said the engineers settled on the 16,500-square-foot facility and 2,700-square-foot outbuilding. The new plans call for masonry on the first level as opposed to both stories of the building as originally planned.

“(It’s) very, very similar stylistically to what we had envisioned initially, just a little bit of change in material to help reduce some construction cost,” Belknap said.

He said the project is expected to be bid next week and the goal is to have bids due in late March. Construction is expected in 2021.

In other business, the committee recommended the city submit a $150,000 post-disaster grant application to the Idaho Department of Commerce to replace the Sixth Street bridge near Mountain View Road. The bridge was damaged during April’s flood and the cost to replace it, including design and construction, is about $1.2 million. If the grant is awarded, construction would be expected to happen next year. The item will be placed on the city council regular agenda Feb. 18.

At the Moscow City Council Administrative Committee meeting Monday, the committee recommended allowing the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre to sell beer and wine at its downtown location. State code prohibits businesses from selling beer and wine for on-premises consumption within 300 feet of any school or place of worship, but the city council can waive that prohibition.

The Kenworthy is adjacent to Christ Church/Nuart Theatre. Christ Church Pastor Doug Wilson sent a letter of support for the Kenworthy to sell beer and wine. The item will be placed on the city council’s consent agenda.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.