Document text
New county building to include coffee shop Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Billy Christensen removes the facade that formerly held the sign on an old Safeway building being refurbished to house county offices. The county is considering renting a spot for a coffee vendor. By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune People checking in at Jackson County's parole and probation department can buy a mocha or latte while they wait - if somebody in the community wants to sell it. According to Deputy County Administrator Dave Kanner, designers have included a small retail space inside the old west Medford Safeway building. When remodel work is complete, Kanner said, that spot may be ideal for a coffee stand. The vendor would lease or rent the space from the county. "I just don't know how much interest there's going to be, but I guess we'll find out," Kanner said. The county is remodeling the building on West Main Street to house its parole and probation, election and emergency management offices. Construction is expected to end this summer. Parole and probation offices are currently in the county's Justice Building. "When we were designing the building, the Community Justice Department felt strongly about having something included that would be an amenity for the surrounding community," Kanner said. Kanner said he isn't sure how successful the proposed venture will be, but he remains hopeful after the county landed a similar contract at the new Medford library. Sal Mellelo, the owner of three Mellelo coffee shops in Medford, will set up a coffee concession in the new main library. Kanner said interested vendors will not be able to set up a drive-through window at the remodeled building. The building will have 60 employees and won't generate a huge amount of traffic, Kanner said. However, at any given time roughly 1,500 people in Jackson County are serving a sentence of parole or probation. Those people are required to visit the department on various schedules. "I'm still trying to figure out what kind of rent we can reasonably charge in that space, given how small it is," Kanner said. The county bought the building for $1 million last year. Adroit Construction Co. offered a bid of $1,862,800 for the bulk of the work. The county will pay Community Justice $257,117 and inmates will perform other tasks - a decision that sparked anger and controversy among local labor groups and local construction workers. The project is paid for through its general fund, a rainy day fund and money previously earmarked to remodel the elections department. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.