Brookhaven approves funding for public safety facility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
$12 million bond paves the way for police, municipal court, emergency ops
Brookhaven, GA, May 22, 2018 – The Brookhaven City Council approved a resolution to provide for funding of a public safety facility approved as part of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum, approved by voters in November 2017. Also approved by voters was the ability to issue General Obligation bonds using SPLOST proceeds as repayment.
“Clearing this crucial hurdle ensures an aggressive and expeditious construction schedule in support of Brookhaven’s entire public safety function, including our police, municipal court and emergency management,” said Mayor John Ernst. “Furthermore, it supports the general public in another way, as it provides a crucial access point to another of Brookhaven’s prestigious initiatives, the Peachtree Creek Greenway.”
On April 23, 2018 the City published a RFP for the SPLOST bond. This RFP was posted on the internet and sent to 34 firms for consideration. A total of seven responded with bids for a $12 million bond with an annual interest rate cap of 2.8%. After an analysis of all the bids by a review committee, the recommendation was to award the bond to STI Institutional and Government Inc, a.k.a. Suntrust Bank, which maintains offices in the City of Brookhaven. The City secured a rate of 2.75%, which beat the current U.S. Treasury 5-year bond yield of 2.9%.
The parcel along the North Fork of Peachtree Creek, which is the signature trailhead for the PCG and the site of Brookhaven’s new public safety facility.
On May 8, Brookhaven announced the location of the facility on the parcel at 1793 Briarwood Road. The public safety portion of the tract will total 3 to 4 acres, including parking. The City has awarded a contract in the amount of $800,000 to Rosser International, Inc., for architecture and engineering, which will be followed by a competitive bid process for the actual construction. When complete, the new public safety building will provide state-of-the-art amenities and room to grow for Brookhaven Police, which is now crowded into a rented building near the Atlanta city limits. The current facility at 2665 Buford Highway only has 55 parking places for a department with 85 employees and a busy municipal court.
Groundbreaking is expected in the fall of 2018 and construction is will be complete in the summer of 2020.
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Media Contact:
Burke Brennan
Director of Communications
404-637-0709
Burke.Brennan@BrookhavenGA.gov
