Palmetto eyes new city hall building to handle growth. Here’s what to know

Palmetto officials are weighing two options to replace the city’s aging 1950s-era city hall as the population grows.

City leaders say the current building is “busting at the seams” and unable to handle projected staffing needs.

FULL STORY: ‘Room to grow.’ Palmetto leaders seek new home for city hall building

Here are key takeaways:

• Two options on the table: The city is under contract on both a 5-acre CSX property for new construction and the five-story Sunmed Building next to existing city hall. Both will be presented to commissioners in the coming weeks.
• CSX land deal: Commissioners are in early stages of buying 5 acres from CSX for $1.4 million, located between Eighth Avenue and 10th Avenue West.
• Staffing growth: Officials estimate the city will need 46 full-time employees at city hall in 15 years, up from 30 today.
• More space needed: A new building at the CSX site could reach 15,000 square feet — more than double the current 6,500-square-foot facility.
• Aging building: City Clerk Jim Freeman said the existing city hall, built in the 1950s, is “approaching, if not already at, the end of its useful life.”
• One-stop campus: The CSX site sits near the police station, which Freeman said could create “a campus-style environment” for residents.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.