Marysville authorizes $32 million bond for civic center

MARYSVILLE — The city is moving forward with a new civic center.

During the primary election, residents voted to increase sales tax to fund a new jail and police station.

Last month, the Marysville City Council authorized a bond sale worth $32 million to pay for the project. It also voted to hire the Everett architectural firm Botesch, Nash & Hall.

The buildings are planned to go west of Comeford Park, along Delta Avenue. It would take up six acres, between Fourth and Eighth streets. Services expected to be moved there include the police department, jail, municipal court and City Hall.

The bond would cover the $23 million public safety building, and about half the cost of the rest of the campus. It would take 30 years to pay back.

The city plans to sell its current buildings to help bankroll the new ones, city spokeswoman Connie Mennie said Friday. Any other money would come from the general fund and capital reserves, she said.

In August, residents voted to increase the sales tax by 0.1 percent. That’s about 10 cents more per $100 purchase. The revenue is expected to take care of 70 percent of the cost for the jail and police station.

Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2019, and would wrap up the following year.

The plan is to build the whole campus at once, but if it’s not possible, the jail and police station will be first, Mennie said.

The city already owns most of the land it plans to develop, she said. Some businesses there have already moved out, and others are in the process.

The original City Hall and police station were in the same area.

“It’s sort of a return to the city core,” she said. “There’s a little bit of history there.”

The current public safety center, on Grove Street, was built in 1986. It had 24 employees back then. There are about four times that many now. The city’s population has increased by almost 60,000 in that same time.

The new police department is planned to be 46,000 square feet, and have room for 110 employees. It also is expected to include 50 jail cells for up to 110 inmates.

Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.