Council approves contract for center
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on February 7, 2018 5:50 AM
Renovations of the former W.A. Foster Center on Leslie Street will continue with the Goldsboro City Council approving a contract for the work Monday.
The council voted in favor of a $118,390 contract with Billy Brock Construction for reconstruction work that includes new flooring, wall and ceiling tile repairs, a new heating and air conditioning unit and roof repairs for the art building.
"The majority of the work is the flooring systems," said Octavius Murphy, assistant to the city manager.
The decision, which was made during the regular city council meeting, also includes the use of $29,615 in fund balance reserves.
The work is planned to start within 30 days and the project should be finished by July, which will lead to the facility being available for public use, Murphy said.
The council previously approved spending as much as $200,000 on repairs, but the renovations and recent removal of asbestos will result in the project costing closer to $180,000.
The majority of the funding, $150,000, has been set aside in the budget and earmarked for building repairs.
The facility, at 516 Leslie St., was previously slated for demolition but community interest in preserving the building led the council to make repairs for continued use. The former W.A. Foster Center is one of the last remaining structures with historical ties to the African-American community.
Also during the meeting, the council tabled its decision on a roof replacement project for Union Station, after Councilman David Ham said he wanted more information including details on roofing materials.
The council will revisit the proposal in two weeks that includes a $434,792 roofing replacement contract with the Century Slate Co. and a $38,314 engineering contract with R. Tadd Furrow. The project includes a cost-share agreement with the N.C. Department of Transportation, with DOT and the city each paying half the cost. The project will cost the city $258,293 in fund balance reserves.
In other business, the council approved:
* A $17,080 contract with Pearson Pump for final repairs at the Westbrook Pump Station related to Hurricane Matthew damage.
* Site and landscape plans for a a six-unit apartment complex on Olivia Lane near Poplar Street.
* Site and landscape plans for a 9,800-square-foot medical office building on Hospital Road.
* A rezoning request to change an office-residential district to a residential conditional district on Glennwood Trail for the development of two duplex apartment buildings.
During a 5 p.m. work session, the council decided to move forward with spending $850,000 during the next two years on computer-related upgrades. The council is planned to vote on the proposal in two weeks, which will include a resolution that details a lease purchase agreement for $478,000 in purchases during the current fiscal year. The purchase includes 90 laptops for police and fire personnel. During the 2018-19 fiscal year, $372,000 in lease purchases are planned.
The purchases include 40 network upgrades for all city facilities, network storage, a phone system upgrade, security system upgrades and other related equipment.