BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Black Mountain is taking another step toward figuring out what to do with its troubled public safety building.
Town Council voted Monday to authorize Interim Town Manager Richard Hicks to find a structural engineering firm to assess the building, with up to $10,000 available for the work.
The assessment is expected to give town officials a better understanding of the building’s structural condition as they weigh repairing the existing facility against replacing it.
The town has been discussing the building’s future for months. An earlier estimate put the cost of major repairs at about $2.4 million to $2.6 million, although that estimate was made before additional concerns were discovered.
Officials have also been considering a new public safety building that could cost about $20 million.
The existing building has been plagued by structural and water-related problems, including concerns about settlement, the foundation, walls and floors. A portion of the roof collapsed in April after the structure pulled away from a wall, adding to concerns about the building’s condition.
Additional testing also found water beneath the building, about 1½ feet below the floor slab.
The town has said more engineering work is needed before it can determine whether the existing building can be made structurally sound.
Monday’s vote authorizes Hicks to obtain a structural engineering assessment for no more than $10,000.
Hicks told council the town does not have money specifically set aside for major repairs to the public safety building. If significant repairs are needed, the town would likely have to borrow money and seek approval from the Local Government Commission.
Meanwhile, the town has continued exploring the possibility of a new facility on Northport Road. The preliminary concept calls for a roughly 23,000-square-foot building on just under 5 acres, with police and fire operations in separate areas.
The town has received a $1 million grant toward the proposed new facility, but Monday’s action does not commit Black Mountain to building it.
For now, the town is taking another step toward answering a basic question: Can the building it has be fixed, or is it time to start over?
The structural assessment should give council members more information before making that decision.
