Town closer to new police station
By Staff
The Town of Culpeper moved a step closer this week to securing a site for a new police station. The town made a “conditional offer” to purchase the building and land owned by the Providence Bible Church at 740 Old Brandy Road.
The town offered to pay $2.85 million for the 2.89-acre site, which contains a 20,000 square-foot building and ample parking, said Interim Town Manager Dan Boring. The town also offered a refundable $100,000 check to hold the property.
The church’s congregation voted last Sunday to accept the town’s purchase offer.
The offer is contingent on five items meeting town conditions:
A study that the building remains structurally sound and capable of accommodating a police department.
That the site passes an environmental study.
Passes an asbestos study.
Completion of a property survey.
A land title search of past owners.
Town officials estimate it will take about 60 days to complete the five items on the list.
There are no firm estimates on costs to renovate the building, constructed in 1964, said Town Engineer Chuck Stephenson. The town’s architects must first visit and study the church facility. The church property is large enough to add onto the existing building, if necessary
However, Stephenson estimates that it will spend significantly less than the almost $10 million it would have cost to construct a new 24,000 square-foot facility on the 12-acre parcel that was to be donated by Angler Construction. A weakening economy and slowed housing market sent Angler’s Copper Ridge property back to the lender.
Since last June, when it appeared that the Angler land would be unavailable, the town has looked into three other vacant parcels as possible sites for the police department. The town has even explored the possibility of a public-private partnership with a local developer to build a new facility and lease it with an option to buy. That option remains active even though the town has taken steps to acquire the church building on Old Brandy Road.
In December, 2007, some council members informally approached several members of the church’s congregation about selling the building to the town. In the last three weeks, the deal came together.
Ironically, the town looked at the Old Brandy Road property in 2002 as one of several possible police station sites to replace the current cramped facilities on West Cameron Street.. However, the town was just a little late in making an offer. The Providence Bible Church purchased the property for $660,000 and paid off the mortgage last year, said a church official.
Besides a place to conduct worship services, the building has served as a sewing factory and an office building.
The town council, which has discussed the proposed purchase in closed session, must still vote on the agreement before the deal is finalized.