STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) -- A two-phase project that totals $8 million now has the green light after the Mississippi Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an appeal from the opposition to the city's attempt to build a new City Hall.
City employees have been waiting for this news since they have been working in very cramped quarters in a structure built in the 1930s.
"We're going to have spaces that will allow people to have offices that are not on top of one another," said Lynn Spruill, the city's chief administrative officer. "It's just really an opportunity for us to come into this century."
The new City Hall will be built at the site of the old electrical department building at the end of Main Street.
Once open, it should provide the space needed for city business.
"Well, not only is there a great functional need just to carry out the day-to-day operations of city government, but these facilities will be landmarks in downtown Starkville," added Parker Wiseman, the mayor of Starkville, "for a generation to come as well."
The plan calls for the police department to stay in the current building while other city departments move into the new building.
"Using the lease purchase model as we have, it does not carry any lawful authority for additional taxes," added Wiseman. "So these will be projects that do not result in a tax increase for the citizens of Starkville."
The new building also is expected to provide a boost when it comes to economic development.
"I think it fits well with some of the goals that the new economic regional development partnership that we have just entered into with Lowndes and Clay County," said Taylor Adams of Starkville.
Breaking ground on a new City Hall building could start as early as next month and take approximately 18 months to build.
While the new building is expected to be open in 2014, refurbishing the current building is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
