The Holts Summit Board of Aldermen on Monday night took the first official step to purchase a former bank building to be used as the new City Hall.
City Administrator Brian Crane said the two-level 5,000-square-foot building would be added to the city's building complex that now includes two other buildings, each with 5,000 square feet of space on two levels.
The 5,000-square-foot building at 213 South Summit Drive the city has a contract to purchase next month also has two levels and two entrances. It is now occupied by Mid-Missouri Inventory Service, Inc. The building and business are owned by Kenneth Berkel of Berkel and Berkel LLC.
If the ordinance is given final approval by the aldermen, Crane said the city plans to close on the contract to purchase the building in about 30 days.
Crane said the building is a good value for the city. "The asking price was much higher and we eventually agreed on the current appraised value of the building at $310,000," Crane said.
The building was constructed in 1980 for Fulton Savings Bank. Crane said about 10 or 12 years ago the bank was acquired by Central Bank of Jefferson City. The Jefferson City-based bank decided to build a new bank building in Holts Summit and sold the former Fulton Savings Bank building to Mid-Missouri Inventory Service, Inc.
"A former bank building is a great fit for a City Hall building. It has a drive-thru facility that could be used as a convenience to city residents making regular utility payments to the city. It also has one large and one small vault that can be used for storage of records and cash transactions," Crane said.
"The large vault would cost from $50,000 to $100,000 to build today," Crane added.