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Legislature directs design work for downtown ‘center of government’ and reassigns several offices
Summary
A resolution moved May 20 directs architects to design a downtown center-of-government building (approx. 45,000 sq ft) and outlines department placement; the Board of Elections would move off the center site and workforce development would shift to the former jail, with further design work and parking considerations to follow.
Tompkins County legislators on May 20 approved a resolution to advance design work for a proposed downtown center-of-government building and to document proposed placements for county departments in the planned facility.
Legislator Lee Shirtliff moved the resolution, which Randy Brown and others briefed as the culmination of a long planning process to consolidate county functions downtown. The motion gives Holt Architects direction to design an approximate 45,000-square-foot facility at the Tioga/Buffalo site while allowing flexibility on exact department placement. The plan as discussed would move Workforce Development into the old jail building and relocate the Board of Elections out of the Center of Government, with the Human Services Annex on State Street identified as a possible alternative site for elections functions.
Members debated details including building size, parking and future uses of nearby properties. Greg Meze asked for and obtained an amendment to retain flexibility on the Human Services Annex, changing the location language to “Human Services Annex or location to be determined adequate to the needs of the department.” Several legislators emphasized public access and the need to plan for constituent parking and community meeting space; staff said those issues will be addressed in design.
The resolution passed unanimously. Legislators and staff said the vote authorizes further design work and cost-estimating; it does not itself commit the county to build or to a financing plan.
