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Commissioners approve Lake City Reporter building renovation plans and standard lease terms for CareerSource and DEP
Summary
The board approved staff plans to renovate parts of the Lake City Reporter building for lease to public agencies, authorized replacing aging HVAC units, and approved a standard lease rate of $20 per square foot; CareerSource (formerly Florida Crown) and the Florida DEP indicated interest in leasing space and want occupancy as early as Aug. 1.
Columbia County commissioners approved renovation plans and a standard lease framework for a county-owned building commonly called the Lake City Reporter building, and authorized staff to proceed with lease negotiations for two public-sector tenants: CareerSource (formerly referenced in the packet as "Florida Crown") and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
County staff presented floor-plan options that carve office and reception space for the two tenants and identified minimal structural renovations required for life-safety and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access, including two accessible restrooms and accessible entryways. Staff said the tenant spaces would be about 2,100 to 2,500 square feet each, including shared/common area and some storage.
Maintenance staff Donnie and Troy informed the board the building’s HVAC systems are old, some units are not powered, and units contain phased-out refrigerant (R-22). They recommended replacing packaged air-conditioning units now rather than waiting until tenants occupy new offices. Donnie said the replacement strategy may allow reuse of existing line sets if compressors have not contaminated the line, which would lower costs.
Staff requested approval to proceed with the renovation plans and to work with the tenants on lease terms. Joel presented a standard lease agreement and staff recommended a standard rate of $20 per square foot per year (annual rate); the board approved authorization for staff to execute leases with public-sector tenants under that standard form. CareerSource representatives told the board they expect to move about 13 employees into the space and that the agency will use a resource/computer room for client services; DEP representative requests included a reception area, two offices and a break room for intermittent field staff use.
Outcome: Commissioners voted to proceed with the renovation plans, to authorize replacement of HVAC units as described by maintenance staff, and to approve a standard lease form and the $20 per-square-foot rate for public-sector leases. Staff will continue work on tenant fit-out, HVAC replacement planning and execution of lease documents.
