Mayor says no cost to take over Joint Municipal Bldg

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville/Hall County's Joint Municipal Building may soon become known as the Gainesville Municipal Building.

Mayor Danny Dunagan said Thursday the city's planned expansion in the building would cost very little other than legal fees.

"There's no cost except legal fees with the transfer," the Mayor said.

Now that Hall County has consolidated into its new government center on Browns Bridge Road, Dunagan said the city wants a building swap for the downtown space the county formerly occupied.

"What will happen with this building is that it will be the Gainesville offices and we will move all our personnel into one building," Mayor Dunagan added. "We'll probably lease the Green Street Station and move all of our staff into this one building."

Hall County's Tax commissioner and Tax assessor's office as well as Public Works Administration and Engineering once occupied the second floor of the downtown building until they were moved into the county's new center, formerly Liberty Mutual Building.

The county bought the surplus building for $6-million in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenues, with another $2-million spent for renovation.