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Politics & Government

Brighton Council Explores Selling City Hall, Leasing Offices

The present city hall could become offices for a private company or a community center for a totally redesigned Mill Pond area.

Brighton's City Hall might soon be leaving downtown in an effort to downsize and save money.

Officials said that the 7,600 square foot building, which one time housed both city offices and the city library, is larger than the city needs.

The Brighton City Council Thursday night directed City Manager Dana Foster to do an analysis of the cost of leasing office space to house city operations at another location.

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Foster said the poor economy, and reductions in city revenue, caused by lowered property values, have resulted in a smaller staff via employee layoffs and attrition, with retiring employees often not being replaced.

Foster says the city hall offices are now more than adequate and the city could gain additional revenue by dispensing with the property. Additionally, the building is aging, and Foster says each year that goes by the cost of maintaining it goes up. It was built and dedicated in 1981.

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In addition, in its preliminary master plan, the city's Mill Pond Master Plan Design Committee has designated the building as a possible future community center for a transformed Mill Pond Park area.

In its preliminary master plan, the committee envisions a Mill Pond that would accommodate canoeists, kayakers and paddleboaters in warm months and ice skaters during the winter.  The Mill Pond would also contain a plaza, amphitheater, veterans' memorial, spash pad next to the Imagination Station playground and a a fire pit. 

The cost of implementing the features contained in the plan would be partially defrayed by grants and the financial participation of local businesses. Cost figures are not yet available.

WCA Assessing, a Westland firm contracted by the city to handle its assessing after the recent retirement of city assessor Kathy Lupi, appraised the city hall building and property at $950,000.  

Foster says no one has expressed an interest in purchasing the property.

A special meeting will be set next month allowing the the public to comment on the Mill Pond plans.

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