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Central Point will study city hall First step for adding to 1980 space By SUSAN JAY CENTRAL POINT -- The idea of a city hall annex has long been the plan, but Thursday night the City Council took the first step toward making it a reality. The council voted unanimously to spend $30,000 and hire Skelton, Straus & Seibert Architects and Planners of Medford to develop a comprehensive study for the project. The money will come from the city's land acquisition and building fund. City Administrator Jim Bennett recommended the firm because of its longtime ties to the city. David Straus, one of the firm's founding partners, designed the current city hall. The firm also has completed many building projects in the Central Point school district, and designed the Lausmann Annex, Medford's city hall expansion. Working with the city, council and the community, the study will answer questions regarding the scope of the expansion, parking needs and estimated cost of construction. A big question is how many stories it should be. The study, set to be finished in July, also will be used to develop a budget and design concept. "You should build as much as you possibly can, just because it's a prudent thing to do," Straus told the council. The goal, Bennett said, is to open the doors to the new annex by spring 2001. City staff, however, are feeling the need now. "We're crammed in here like sardines," Bennett said. "We've redesigned our office space about as many times as we can. We're kind of reaching critical mass here." The city police force also shares the building. The two-story, 16,000-square-foot city hall on South Second Street was built in 1980 and designed to provide adequate space for the next 20 years. The city was able to use federal block grants to pay for the building. The new annex would be built just north of city hall. Bennett said the city plans to lease out space in the building and shouldn't have any problems finding tenants. Agencies that have expressed some interest in renting are the Rogue Valley Council of Governments and Southern Oregon Regional Economic and Development Inc. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA