LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Government has entered into an agreement to purchase the former AT&T building at 601 West Chestnut St. downtown.
The tentative plan is to move the Louisville Metro Police headquarters and other city agencies into the building, but Metro Council must still approve. The city hopes to close the deal early in 2022.
In a Letter of Intent sent from Louisville Forward to the TRIO Commercial Property Group, Metro Louisville agreed to pay $6.8 million at closing for the property, which is still owned by AT&T.
The nearly 200,000-square-foot building was built in 1978 according to PVA records and is currently vacant. It has been up for sale since 2015 and was originally listed for $11.4 million. The current listing price is $10.2 million, but Metro Government agreed to buy it for $6.8 million.
Metro Facilities Director Mark Zoeller said the purchase is an investment in the city’s downtown.
“We believe the price that we got on this building was a very good deal for Metro Government,” Zoeller said. “We're taking a building that has been vacant for many years, and we'll be bringing it back to life."
The building will replace LMPD's nearly 70-year-old headquarters which is now too small and has both structural and safety issues. In 2018, raw sewage seeped into the chief's office when inmates in cells upstairs overflowed the latrines. Urine and feces have fallen on desks and computers, and trash cans have been used to catch leaking water.
“The environment in that building is just toxic," Metro Council President David James said. "I can't believe that we actually had people working in there for so long."
James, who is a former LMPD officer, said the move will allow the police command staff, which is now in different locations, to come together.
“It will make things much more efficient and able to deliver public safety in a much more robust and efficient way,” he said.
Metro Council must approve the purchase, but members on both sides seem to be on board, telling WDRB News it will boost police morale and public confidence.
“I think it gives the right message to the public who want to live here and grow their families that we take public safety seriously,” Minority Caucus Chairman Anthony Piagentini said. “I also think it's a great message for recruiting new officers.”
Zoeller said the city is still doing its due diligence to determine what kinds of modifications are needed and how much they will cost. He said it has not been decided which other agencies would also move into the space.
“We believe there's a lot of potential for this site and for its use in Metro Government's operations going forward,” he said.
The city hopes to close the deal in January 2022.
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