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Burnet City Manager David Vaughn said the Bealls building, at 110 E. Polk St. is a much more cost-effective option for new city offices. Phil Reynolds/Burnet Bulletin
Burnet City council members approved a resolution in a special meeting Friday authorizing up to $1 million to buy the vacant Beall’s store property at 110 E. Polk St.
The city has until Wednesday, June 16, to close on the property.
City Manager David Vaughn said the building, vacant for about a year, is 16,000 square feet of virtually clear space that could be remodeled into nearly any use the city wishes. The city had been looking for a replacement for the current city office building, which it rents on West Buchanan Street. However, that building suffered during the February freeze and in fact city offices were closed for some time afterward.
If the opportunity to buy the Beall’s building hadn’t come along, virtually the only option was to build at a greatly increased cost, Vaughn said.
He said structural engineers had looked at the building and pronounced it sound. Some masonry work needs to be done at the rear, he said, but the building is in remarkably good condition for a 40-year-old structure.
The council had announced last month that the city would issue certificates of obligation amounting to as much as $7.455 million to finance a new city hall, pay for street construction and improvements and finance improvements at the Burnet airport. Unlike general obligation bonds, certificates of obligation don’t require voter approval.
Vaughn said while the building is in good shape, reworking it into a city hall will take about a year and a half.
