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Brookhaven officials moving to new city hall ... in Brookhaven
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For the first time in its short history, Brookhaven will have a city hall located in the city of Brookhaven. The city has leased a three-story building at 4362 Peachtree Road which will house city departments, offices and city council chambers. The new city hall building will be open to the public on March 31. City officials are moving out of the temporary city hall, located in rented office space in the city of Dunwoody, which has been used since the city incorporated in 2012. “I think the public is going to be very excited about what we’re doing with the space. The building is centrally located, which was very important to us,” City Manager Marie Garrett said. The city of Brookhaven will use all three floors of the 24,000-square-foot building, which was previously occupied by Georgia State University. Garrett said the city and the owner are looking to split the $600,000 cost of tenant improvements needed to suit the building to the city’s needs, such as constructing chambers for City Council meetings. No agreement has been finalized yet. “The cost associated with the building is being priced out right now,” Garrett said. The city has a five-year lease on the building, with the option for one-year annual renewals.
Garrett said all city staff will temporarily work out of the basement of the building while renovation work is being completed. Finding a new city hall facility was a challenge for city officials, even before Brookhaven officially incorporated. The Governor’s Commission on Brookhaven, a body appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to help set up the city before the mayor and city council members were elected, was tasked with securing a temporary city hall. That body settled on the Dunwoody location because it was so difficult to find a suitable space in Brookhaven. The one-year lease on the city’s current office space at Ashford Center North in Dunwoody was originally set to expire Dec. 31. But city officials again had trouble finding a new building that had everything the city needed. Officials have said there isn’t a lot of office space available in the center of the city. And many landlords aren’t comfortable with government tenants due to the potential for heavy traffic at contentious City Council meetings, Municipal Court or a busy permit department. The new city hall on Peachtree Road will not become Brookhaven’s permanent home. The goal is for Brookhaven is to own its own building, though that is at least five years down the road.
Brookhaven Government Calendar Brookhaven City Council usually meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. at 2 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 125, Brookhaven, GA 30329. For complete and up-to-date schedule of Brookhaven city meetings, go to http://brookhavenga.gov .
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Easter on the Town Saturday, April 12th, 10am - 1pm Visit with the Easter Bunny! Easter Egg Hunts
Ages 1-3, Ages 4-7 & Ages 8+ • Join us on the green space • Bring your camera
Face Painting • Balloon Art • Bounce House • Music & Games Located on Peachtree Road adjacent to Oglethorpe University
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MARCH 21 – APRIL 3, 2014 | 3