Mayor releases survey asking for public opinion on government center

Mayor Teresa Tomlinson released a survey Tuesday asking for public opinion on the Columbus Consolidated Government Center.

The survey comes as the city mulls renovating or replacing the 46-year-old complex with one or two buildings to house judicial and city services.

The survey asks residents about their primary safety and security concerns at the center, their overall satisfaction with the grounds, and what they would change if they could. It also asks whether residents view the current building as an “icon” deserving of protection and whether it is important that government services and courtrooms remain downtown.

Tomlinson convened a commission in January to study the possibility of replacing the government center entirely. Her original press release called for surveys and forums to be held to gather public opinion until the fall, when a final plan is expected to be presented to the city council.

“This building has served us well for nearly 50 years,” Tomlinson said in the news release at the time. “It is tired and it shows.”

A tour of the building a month later highlighted a few of the problems with the aging structure: leaky pipes, bat infestations, long elevator wait times, insufficient security and tight stairwells that could cause a dangerous pileup if a fire were to break out.

Renovating or replacing the building would cost anywhere from $68 million to $100 million, and the commission is still studying how the city will go about paying for it.

To take the survey, go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/GovernmentCenter2017.

Scott Berson, 706-571-8570, sberson@ledger-enquirer.com

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Mayor releases survey asking for public opinion on government center."