A major renovation and expansion of the Shoreview maintenance center is planned for next year, to the tune of $5.5 million.

That price tag has raised objections from one City Council member, who questions the wisdom of pursuing such a project during difficult economic times.

"In this environment in Shoreview, there have been 120 foreclosures in the last two years," Council Member Blake Huffman said. "There's a lot of anguish and a lot of nervous people out there. This project doesn't employ a bunch of people. I don't see what the good is here."

City staff members say renovations to the maintenance center -- which houses about 40 city employees in the public works and parks and recreation departments -- are long overdue. They also argue that it's an ideal time to take on a public building project, because construction jobs are few.

"A lot of people will bid this project aggressively in order to get it," said Mark Maloney, director of the city's Public Works Department.

Built in the 1970s, the Shoreview Maintenance Center was last modified in 1985. Since then, Shoreview has grown and the building doesn't meet the city's current needs, Maloney said. The center needs a new roof, among other improvements.

"Our staff has grown and our city has grown since this building was built," he said.

The proposed expansion would add 11,000 square feet to the building, putting it at 52,500 square feet. Highlights include a new salt shed, a two-story addition with a training room and better locker rooms for staff, a service bay and a new roof.

That roof will be designed to collect rainwater for use elsewhere, and it's one of many environmentally friendly design elements being incorporated into the project.

City leaders would work with the Rice Creek Watershed District to restore the shore off Lake Martha, near the maintenance center site.

Mid-price option

The City Council was originally presented with three options for improving the center. The first one, estimated at $1.2 million, covered the costs of doing only the deferred maintenance needed.

At the other end of the spectrum was a more extensive remodeling of the existing building. The cost for that choice ranged between $9 and $10 million, said Shoreview City Manager Terry Schwerm.

"The council wasn't comfortable with expanding the maintenance center even further ... so they picked the mid-price range one that addressed the biggest need areas in the building," he said.

Huffman said while he understands the need to make the building safe, the improvements go beyond that goal.

"We're making it safe. We're also making it very fancy," he said.

Funding for the project would come, in part, from property tax money used to pay off a bond.

Schwerm said a resident who owns a home at the city's median value -- $262,000 -- would see a tax increase of $5.85 a year.

"That's another reason to do this now," he said. "We can mitigate the effect on property taxes because our debt levy is dropping."

The Shoreview Maintenance Center is located off Hwy. 96 and Victoria Street N., across the street from the Ramsey County Library and Shoreview City Hall.

The project is in the design phase, with a public hearing expected this winter. If the council approves the final plans, construction would begin March 1.

Allie Shah • 612-673-4488