Peachtree Corners To Buy New City Hall

PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA — City of Peachtree Corners leaders have announced they'll soon be getting a new home.

The mayor and council have decided to buy a building near the current city hall, at 147 Technology Pkwy., rather than continuing to pay for a rental space. The new, two-story building is located at 310 Technology Pkwy.

"The city is paying a monthly lease which means there is no accumulation of ownership equity," said City Manager Brian Johnson. "Renewing the lease at the current location would be less favorable as the lease rate was set to rise substantially. It simply a smart economic decision for the city to own rather than to continue leasing space."

The planned new location will have more square footage than the current city hall, city officials said, allowing the city to lease out part of the building.

The current city hall building has served in the role since January 2013. A 12,500-square-foot office space, it's located behind another building — making it difficult for some visitors to find — and comes with security concerns and a lack of public meeting space, leaders say.

Constructed in the 1970s, it does not provide public restroom access and is not fully ADA compliant.

"The building’s layout makes it impossible to provide the necessary security for our residents, visitors and staff," Johnson said. "As a building that the public accesses daily, it is imperative that we provide a safe and secure environment for visitors and staff alike."

At the new city hall building, each floor is about 30,000 square feet. City Hall will be located on the ground floor, the additional square footage will accommodate a larger council chambers and additional meeting space which would also be available for public use.

The cost of the building is $4.5 million and will be financed through the Georgia Municipal Association. The loan will be paid off in 15 years.

Plans to transition from a city hall lease arrangement to one of ownership were also recently announced by the neighboring municipalities of Johns Creek and Dunwoody.

"Purchasing a building in Tech Park represents an investment in the city itself," said Mayor Mike Mason. "The purchase will lend itself to our economic development plans to transform Tech Park into an innovation hub. It is taking a vacant building that six months ago was in foreclosure and returning it back to a productive use."

City leaders expect to move into the new space by the end of the year.

Photo courtesy City of Peachtree Corners