By Staff 1.15.18
CHEYENNE – The Carey Building site (17th St. and Carey Ave.), commonly referred to as the “former Z’s” building, received the recommendation as the preferred location for the new City of Cheyenne Municipal Court by the Municipal Court Site Selection Committee. The committee met Wednesday and voted unanimously to accept the report by Noel Griffith and Associates for full City Council consideration, and further recommended support of the conclusion that the Carey Building/Site is the most appropriate for the municipal courthouse.
The Carey Building was one of four proposal evaluations presented to the Municipal Court Site Selection Committee. Other proposal sites included: The Hynds Building (1608 Capitol Ave.), Mayflower Building (112 West 17th St.), and a vacant lot located at West 18th St. between Bent Ave. and O’Neil Ave.
The next steps for the Carey Building location include a presentation of the findings to City Council during a work session scheduled for Monday, January 29th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Committee Room 104 at 2101 O’Neil Ave.
Buyer Affinity Ventures along with Chuck West — a representative for the current owner – each submitted a proposal for the Carey Building location. The current site has an estimated 14,520 square-footage sitting on 0.33 acres.
A total of six project objectives for the new court location were utilized during the proposal review process:
1. Usable Space
The facility should have 10,000 to 11,000 square-feet of useable space – preferably on one level -to maximize workflow efficiency.
2. Parking
The location should provide adequate parking for 40 to 50 vehicles (including both staff and customers who will access the court Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.) Parking should ideally be able to be separated into two areas, one for judges and court staff and another for public for security purposes.
3. Security
The facility must meet the security requirements of a Municipal Court
4. Project Budget
Cost of the facility must be fiscally reasonable ($9M has been approved by the voters).
5. Site Location
Preferably the site should be located within the downtown area, but other options will be considered.
6. Benefit And Impact
The proposal for the site should consider benefit of new construction or renovation to the community and impact on the Historic District.
Cheyenne Mayor Marian Orr applauded the work done to evaluate the proposals. Orr said “I’m pleased with the process so far, and look forward to consideration by the full council. We have the opportunity to bring life to a long-blighted corner of our downtown, while providing proper space and needs for our municipal court well into the future.”
Members of the Municipal Court Site Selection Committee are Mayor Orr, Councilman Bryan Cook, Del Lummis representing the Downtown Development Authority, Cheyenne Planning and Development Director Robert Briggs, Judge Mark Moran, and City Attorney, Sylvia Hackl.
