Contractors on line for new PD facility
City will cut costs by overseeing project
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Benjamin Sharp An employee of Boling-based Val Gutierrez Construction tosses a shovel load of fill dirt into a covered dock at the former power company building on Richmond Road. This area will be covered with a slab and enclosed as part of renovations that will turn the building into the new Wharton police department and municipal court.

It will take a dozen contractors and more than $100,000 to help turn an old power company building into a new police department and municipal court for the city of Wharton.

The Wharton City Council recently approved a list of contractors and price quotes for a host of tasks deemed necessary for the renovation of the 1407 N. Richmond facility. The contractors will provide everything from insulation to new windows to various materials.

The bulk of the renovation, however, is being done in-house. The city is serving as general contractor for the project to cut down on costs. Already, city crews have demolished a portion of the interior, removed an old guard house, torn out sidewalks and curbing and completed several other tasks.

As for the outside contractors, it's expected to cost $103,000. That includes over $25,000 for insulation, nearly $10,000 for hurricane windows, around $38,000 for materials and enclosing the west end of the structure, roughly $8,000 for telephone and natural gas bores and over $20,000 for plumbing and air-conditioning, both of which will be done on an "as needed basis."

"We identified the different contractors we're going to need to coordinate with on this project," City Manager Andres Garza Jr. said.

"Once we get the resolution approved, we can move forward with getting them to begin work."

An added expense - and a signifi- cant one - will be a back up generator. Since the site will house the police department, it must have auxiliary power to operate the police communications center. The facility will also be used as emergency operations center in the case of a hurricane, flood or some other natural disaster.

City officials have said the 10,000 square foot building is ideal for such emergencies due to solid construction. The city purchased the structure for $350,000.

The generator, which will operate off natural gas, will cost approximately $117,000. A cheaper, diesel version would run about $65,000.

Garza urged council to approve the natural gas alternative, saying it can be converted to run off propane, if necessary. Propane can be stored for lon- ger periods than diesel, he said.

"You can't keep fuel sitting there forever; you have to develop a maintenance program," Garza said.

"It (the natural gas generator) is going to cost more up front, but in the long run, your maintenance costs would be less."

The council agreed to pursue the natural gas generator. Grants through the Houston- Galveston Area Council will be pursued.

Councilman Domingo Montalvo Jr. further suggested the city contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency to see if there are any leftover units available from the recent hurricane response.

"They have an overabundance of very large generators," he said.