New town hall’s construction could begin by July; public will be told at some time before then of details

By John Estridge

Brookville Town Council members unanimously hired GM Development LLC to design, find financing for and build the proposed new town hall in Brookville.

It was the only company which applied. And it is the company currently building the Brookville Aquatic Center. Another company expressed interest in applying, but BTC President Curtis Ward said the person representing the company wanted more information, and town officials could not supply more information beyond what was included in the Request for Proposals/Qualifications (RFPQ).

Action was taken at BTC’s Tuesday, March 9 meeting, which was exactly one month after Ward announced the council’s plan to look into buying an existing building in Brookville and turn it into a town hall.

Ward said this project is on a fast track because the building’s owner wants to sell it quickly, and BTC does not want any competition in purchasing the property.

“The RFPQ process was a direct result from an individual offering the town an opportunity to purchase real estate,” Ward said in a written response regarding why the council decided on a town hall while public members, in the form of taxpayers, were not asked what they would want done, if anything, in a building purchased and owned by the town. “Part of the RFPQ process will include a public hearing on the proposal. Due to the nature of the real estate purchase, public participation has been limited as to allow the town the best chance at purchasing the property free of additional competition in the market.”

Ward was on a committee to choose a company with BTC member Chuck Campbell. Campbell said he is impressed by GM Development LLC.

He said the company always seems to come in under budget, and he liked the photos the company included of building exteriors they had built or remodeled.

According to IndianaCheck.com, GM Development LLC is as a Domestic Limited Liability Company. This business was created on March 12, 2013. Greg Martz is the current agent of this company. This agent’s office address is 8561 N County Road 175 E, Springport, In. That is in Henry County.

Ward said the company will now enter into the scoping phase.

According to the RFPQ, “Once a building or site is selected, the final project scope will be determined through a scoping period with the selected proposer (GM Development LLC), during which the selected proposer (GM Development LLC) will be required to provide financing terms, site analysis, design and construction analysis to create a final scope and a guaranteed budget. The scoping period is anticipated to be a very intense and fast-paced process with the goal of achieving a guaranteed price and final schematic design in spring 2021 in order to accomplish construction commencement in summer 2021. As part of the scoping process, the selected proposer (GM Development LLC) may be asked to investigate potential improvements needed for structural, public safety, code compliance, accessibility, operational efficiency and energy efficiency purposes.”

According to Ward, a scoping process is much better for the town, because the town will not be charged for any of the scoping processes. With many other projects of this type, the government entity is charged with costs such as surveying and engineering analysis whether the entity decides to move forward with the project or not.

During the March 9 meeting, Ward said GM Development would be notified the next day (Wednesday, March 10) and the scoping period began Thursday, March 11.

This will be a very quick process, Ward said.

The building will be purchased, and BTC will close on financing and finalize design by the end of June with construction beginning in July, he said.

At some point, after the BTC is satisfied with GM Development LLC’s design and financing plan, the public will be told what is going on through a public hearing, Ward said.

“That is when we will disclose all the details, financing option, budget, etc.,” Ward said at the March 9 meeting.