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Polk City councilors ask staff to explore marketing options for 300 South 4th Street while identifying police-station alternatives
Summary
Council discussed whether to market or sell a 0.91-acre city-owned lot at 300 South 4th Street (about $900,000 invested) and asked staff to quietly explore market interest or an RFP, while simultaneously identifying backup sites or conducting a feasibility study for a replacement police facility.
Polk City — Council members on March 23 opened a policy-level discussion about whether the city should consider marketing or selling a 0.91-acre parcel at 300 South 4th Street that the city acquired and cleared for a possible police facility.
Staff reported the city’s investment in the parcel is roughly $900,000, including acquisition and demolition of four houses. Several council members said they want the city to be proactive about understanding commercial interest in the site — short of formally committing to a sale — and asked staff to publicize availability or consider an RFP similar to a past process used for other city property. Members also emphasized the need to identify alternative sites or a contingency plan for a police facility before any sale.
Council asked staff to return with options, including low-cost outreach to developers, parameters for an RFP if council pursues one, and a feasibility check on what a replacement police facility would require in terms of lot size and configuration. No motion to sell was made; the item remained a discussion and staff committed to follow up.
What happens next: Staff will prepare additional information for council, including a scope for any potential RFP, an inventory of possible alternate sites, and baseline needs for a new police facility so the council can weigh tradeoffs before taking a sale-related vote.
