JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) — The city of Jeffersonville is budgeting $2 million to either renovate the existing animal shelter or build a new one.
Mayor Mike Moore announced in his State of the City address last month that the city would build a new shelter to replace the current J. B. Ogle Animal Shelter. It’s outdated and not large enough to accommodate all the animals during the busy summer months. At least 4,000 dogs and cats come through the shelter from all over Clark County every year.
“I think the animals of Clark County deserve something nice that’s ventilated, where the heating and air works, and there’s not mold issues,” Moore said.
The original plan was to build a brand new, state-of-the-art shelter at the back of the property and demolish the current one. The new shelter would be bigger in order to accommodate future growth. The new shelter would also be specifically designed to withstand the wear and tear of thousands of animals over the years, unlike the current building.
“After 18 or 19 years, we’re dealing with a lot of issues,” Moore said. “We’re putting a lot of Band-Aids on a building that we either need to build new or do a complete renovation of. It’s worn out, and it wasn’t built to the standards of a commercial grade building.”
The project was estimated to cost less than $2 million, but bids came back this week from contractors that were at least $300,000 above the allocated budget.
Moore said the city needs to stick to the budget for this project. So he toured the shelter Monday with an architect to see what options might best work in within the budget. They are now working on possible cuts to the new plans or options for renovating the current building.
Moore said there is still a chance they will build a new building, it just might not be according to the exact plans that were first approved. He said this is a priority of the city: to make sure they can properly and safely care for the animals of Clark County. The project is also close to Moore's heart, since he adopted his dog nearly five years ago from the shelter.
“I take this building very personally,” he said. “And I want to make sure we do it the right way.”
Moore said he will meet with contractors in the next couple weeks to see which option will be realistic and feasible to pursue.
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