Government expansion : Quorum Court approves purchase of Terminella Building for $4.5 million
Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008
Making things official, the Washington County Quorum Court Thursday night approved the purchase of the Terminella Building for $ 4. 5 million.
It acted on a recommendation made earlier this week by the Finance Committee. The ordinance passed 10-2, with justices of the peace Tom Lundstrum and Joe Patterson voting no.
The purchase and renovation of the Terminella Building are part of a comprehensive plan the Quorum Court and County Judge Jerry Hunton have agreed on to meet long-term space needs for county and court services.
That comprehensive plan also includes renovating the Historical Washington County Courthouse and building a parking deck on property owned by St. Paul's Episcopal Church across North College Avenue from the current courthouse.
The Terminella Building is across College Avenue and south of the courthouse. During a March tour of the building by justices of the peace, Terminella priced it at $ 4. 5 million. Terminella built it about two years ago.
There was some discussion prior to the vote.
Justice of the Peace Micah Neal made a motion - within a bigger motion to pass the ordinance - to get an updated appraisal on the Terminella Building.
"I've had some constituents come to me," he said, explaining that they are concerned about the price for the building.
The appraisal was done in 2005.
Hunton argued that the building is relatively new and, he said," This building is the only building available to do what we need to do, in my estimation."
Hunton said an appraisal would be a waste of money anyway because it would not have an effect on negotiations with seller Tom Terminella.
"I'm afraid we'd be throwing money out the window," Hunton told justices of the peace.
Du r ing discussion of whether to pass the appraisal motion, Patterson said a real estate person told him a piece of his company would have gone down 20 percent from 2005.
Justice of the Peace H. L. Goodwin Jr. said appraisals are based on different factors, such as comparable properties and replacement costs.
"Appraisals come and go," he said.
In reality, he said, the price the buyer and seller agree on reflects the value of what is being sold.
Justice of the Peace Butch Pond pointed out that in 2005, the appraisal for the Terminella Building and its adjacent parking lot was a little more than $ 5 million.
"Mr. Terminella has come down several million dollars since we began to discuss this," he said.
Justice of the Peace Mary Ann Spears said the Quorum Court would be "hardpressed"to find comparable properties, and she said the replacement cost would be more than $ 4. 5 million.
The Quorum Court ultimately voted down Neal's appraisal motion, and then considered the motion for the appropriation to purchase the building.
Lundstrum said his favorite solution to meet space needs was purchasing the old library building east of the Washington County Courthouse. It is also called the Fulbright Building.
He said the main advantage for that property is the existence of 124 parking spaces that could be used.
He also said, as a businessman, he would not close on the Terminella Building when other parts of Hunton's plan are in limbo, mainly the building and leasing of a parking garage on property owned by St. Paul's.
He said he would make the purchase of the Terminella Building contingent on that happening.
Hunton said the Terminella Building meets the county's needs to house the Public Defender's Office and provide a place for Fourth Circuit Judge Mar y Ann Gunn to hold court while the historic courthouse is being renovated. Hunton said drug court could also meet in the building.
Justice of the Peace Steve Zega said he has a problem with making the purchase contingent on anything.
"Somebody else could buy it out from under us," he said.
Justices of the Peace David Daniel and Ann Harbison emphasized how the purchase would facilitate renovation of the historic courthouse.
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