"It's unclear what the result of the vote is going to be," says CivicLex Executive Director Richard Young. "But we'll find out more in the council meeting."
Young says the public-private partnership deal to move city hall to W. Vine Street will get its required second reading this week, now that residents have had a bit of extra time to weigh in with their concerns about the project.
One frequently asked question deals with the total cost. Two numbers are often batted around — $86.6 million and $152.5 million. Young says one way of understanding the two amounts is to compare them to buying a home.
"If you're going to buy a house that's $200,000, your mortgage over 30 years is going to end up costing you more than double that likely at current interest rates. So you don't say you're buying a $450,000 house. You say you're buying a $200,000, but you have to take out a mortgage to be able to afford it. And that's very similar to what's happening here," Young says.
Critics have questioned whether now is the right time to move forward given other concerns about housing and uncertainty surrounding federal funds, but proponents note the city is spending millions to maintain an outdated government center, with a backlog of upkeep costs topping $55 million.
The second reading of the city hall plan will take place at 5 p.m. in council chambers Tuesday night.