Long-Delayed Elections HQ Moving To Sunrise?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
There is a new chapter in the decade-long, multi-million dollar failure by the Broward County Commission to build an elections headquarters.
Commissioners will consider on Tuesday asking staff to negotiate the purchase of the 104,114-square-foot former BJ’s Wholesale Club in Sunrise. The vacant building is on Oakland Park Boulevard just west of University Drive.
The former store would be renovated as offices and a warehouse for the Supervisor of Elections.
The county has set aside $10.8 million for the project.
It’s been a long wait for Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes. She has been promised a new headquarters since 2002.
She is still waiting.
Her problem has been the county commission.
Commissioners have been unable to get the project underway.
Commissioners first bought a building near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport for $3.2 millon. It needed renovation, but they never did it.
Instead, they switched directions. Spurred by lobbyists, a plan surfaced from political insiders Charlie Ladd and George Rahael to build the elections headquarters at their development just west of Interstate 95 along West Broward Boulevard.
Maybe the delay was a good thing.
The original price tag talked about for the headquarters at the West Broward Boulevard site was $45 million. It was whittled down to $22 million, but developers and the county could never get the deal done.
Now the project is priced at $10.8 million and may be moving to Sunrise.
I’m not holding my breath. We could see the new courthouse – another long delayed fiasco by commissioners – before I see this one.
June 13th, 2011 at 8:43 am
This is the biggest economic boost to our city and the Sunrise Commission had nothing to do with it. Ha
June 13th, 2011 at 11:01 am
Why is this money being spent when they are laying off workers? Where are the so-called unions?
June 13th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Buddy, what happened to the building that they’ve already purchased near Exec???
FROM BUDDY:
Nothing happened to it. Its there and owned by the county.
June 13th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
You have to love bloggers like Sunrise Resident. Nothing makes them happy even when they make no sense.
If the piece had been about efforts of the commission to lobby the Supervisor of Elections to choose the site (which I assume is a private deal and has nothing to do with the City), Sunrise Resident would have speculated about some back room deal or complained why didn’t the City push for a private sale where they would at least get some property taxes or conjured up some private interest the commission had in the property. That is a real “ha”.
By the way, it cant be the biggest boost to that city. Heard they have a mall and an arena and some other fine attractions. Just a Monday Morning Complainer.
June 13th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Come on there is always a back door deal going on in sunrise this just keeps getting funnier.
June 13th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Its so funny getting you worked up ! I so enjoy a laugh. You are just to easy to work up. Ok its a good story buddy and now the city manager and commissioners can hide some more of our money from us. Or maybe they’ll just stuff the faces of the unions some more.
June 14th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Who was the real estate agent??? How much ws the commission???