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County to buy Meyer Furniture building to relieve space issues
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
If all goes as planned, Houston County will own another parcel of property and building in Caledonia. The Houston County Board unanimously approved a motion to enter into a purchase agreement with Dale Meyer for his furniture store building on Highways 76 and 44. Meyer, who has health issues, is currently holding a going out of business sale.
The purchase price is $235,000 and the county could take over ownership Jan. 1, 2009.
“We need more office space, and this building would really suit our needs,” Commissioner Dave Corcoran said during the Sept. 9 board meeting. “There is over 10,000 square feet of office space on the main floor, plus a large, dry basement, which could be used for storage.”
Corcoran explained that he received a call from Meyer about the possible sale of the building after Meyer had read about the cramped conditions at the Houston County Courthouse, and how the county board was considering leasing office space in Caledonia.
“We took a look at the building, the parking, the access to the highways, and felt this would be a good move,” Corcoran continued. Other county commissioners were apprized of the availability of the building, and took a walk through.
“I think it’s just what we need,” Commissioner Tom Bjerke said. “There is plenty of room on the main floor to locate a number of departments, there is a freight elevator to the basement, and there is tons of space in the basement for records storage.
“Lack of office space is a very big issue right now, but so is lack of storage space,” Bjerke continued. “We’re renting space in town (Caledonia) right now to store records. The basement would be a very big plus for us too.”
The Houston County Extension Office, which is currently located in a leased building on Highways 76 and 44, would be moved to the Meyer building, according to board members. What other departments would follow wasn’t spelled out during the Sept. 9 meeting. But it appears as if a number of human services departments will probably have a new home.
Picking up the additional office and storage space will probably impact the future design plans for both the proposed criminal justice center and county highway department headquarters, Bjerke added.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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