Room to expand

If the city of Mill Creek needs more office space for staff or community events, it may soon have the facility for it.

The city is on the verge of purchasing the Huntron Building, a two-story building located at 15720 Main Street, just north of city hall and south of Town Center. It has two truck loading bays near its main front entrance, and has more parking space than city hall next door.

The building is currently owned by the Simpson Family Trust, which has owned it since 1999.

“This is so important for the city of Mill Creek,” City Council member John Hudgins said. “Look what it does for future Councils: It pays for itself, and as we need more space, we can move in. We couldn’t build a new building elsewhere for what we paid for it.”

The city got involved in pursuing the building when Hudgins learned the building was for sale. He went to interim city manager Mike Caldwell about it, and the city began pursuing the purchase, with the blessing of the full City Council.

“They thought we should go ahead with it,” Caldwell said about the Council, which unanimously approved the purchase agreement.

Purchase price for the building is $3.75 million, which will be paid out of capital funds. Most of the money is coming from revenues the city made a couple of years ago when it sold property it owned in Town Center, city finance director Joanne Gregory said. Real estate excise tax revenues are also paying for the Huntron purchase.

In addition to housing city offices, Hudgins said the new building could function like a community center, such as with meeting rooms, for example.

“We were looking 10 years out with this purchase,” he said. “To me it was a big purchase, but a smart purchase.”

The building has approximately 32,000 square feet of office space, more than double the size of city hall. It has full handicap access, including an elevator.

“It’s a very nice building,” Caldwell said.

Currently, the building houses four tenants, and there is 8,000 square feet of available office space. Caldwell said the city will try to lease some of that space, but will retain some to move some city operations out of the current city hall. Rent paid by the four occupants, plus any future tenants, is expected to help the building pay for itself, Caldwell and Hudgins said.

The purchase is expected to close June 30, Caldwell said at the May 10 City Council meeting. Some city operations would move into the new building immediately thereafter.