Rotterdam considers moving municipal building to Viaport
Former Kmart could be Town Hall, court, police department destination
Town leaders are eyeing the former Kmart building at the old Rotterdam Square Mall as the new home for Town Hall and the police department and municipal court.
On Thursday, the town revealed that it had hired Barton & Loguidice to conduct an environmental assessment.
“The goal of a single location would be to provide greater levels of efficiencies between various departments, reduce overall costs of the town government, and greatly improve resident’s experience by providing a one-stop service counter to conduct business,” according to the town’s public relations firm.
The idea being considered would involve entering into a long-term lease and possible purchase of the roughly 86,500square-foot space Kmart used to occupy in what is now known as the Viaport Rotterdam mall.
The contract calls for the town to pay $32,000 to do the study, Rotterdam Town Councilman Stephen Signore said Friday.
“This is just an opportunity that presented itself and we’re exploring the possibility, but nobody is committing ourselves to have to do it,” he added.
Signore also said the conversation about the mall not being centrally located has come up but he pointed out that it’s easily accessible from Interstate 890.
If the deal passes muster, the town would then move staff and operations of the police department, justice court and Town Hall, roughly about 100 employees, to Viaport Mall on West Campell Road.
The town would then sell the John F. Kirvin Government Center on Sunrise Boulevard and 101 Princetown Road, the latter of which presently houses the police department and the town court.
The Kirvin Center, along with other buildings owned by the town, is expected to require significant repairs and renovations in the upcoming years.
The tentative plan is to relocate employees at Town Hall and the local court system first, early next year, followed by the police department by March of 2022.
Supervisor Steven Tommasone did not return a call Friday seeking comment but in a prepared statement said the proposed move would consolidate “our town’s primary departments and offices under one roof ... to increase the accessibility and efficiency of our town government while at the same time reducing overhead costs.”