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Office Building Repaired

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By JOSE PATINO GIRONA

jpatino@tampatrib.com

Published: February 11, 2009

WEST TAMPA - Some city employees have moved in to the newly renovated Columbus Municipal Office Building.

Others will move there in March or April when the city's parks and recreation department and the city's utility accounting division relocate.

In December 2006 the city bought the former GTE building at 3402 W. Columbus Dr. for $2.9 million and spent $1.9 million rehabilitating it, said David Vaughn, the city's director of contract administration.

The two-story building has a new roof, carpet, paint, air conditioning and heating, and renovated restrooms, Vaughn said.

The city's fire marshal's office and the city's archives and records services moved into the building in November.

Officials with both groups, who previously were elsewhere downtown, said they like the new facility because there is more space and parking is easily accessible.

"The city did a very good job rehabilitating the building," said Todd Spear, the city's fire marshal.

There are 24 people in the building. After the final move is completed in March or April there will be about 100 people in the building.

The parks and recreation department will move from its headquarters at 1420 N. Tampa St. The building is owned by the city. It will be vacated and possibly sold, Vaughn said.

The parks department still will have two satellite offices; one near Lowry Park Zoo and another near MacDill Air Force Base, said Linda Carlo, parks spokeswoman.

Carlo said staffers are looking forward to being in the new building. She said she toured the Columbus Drive office and was pleased.

Reporter Jose Patino Girona can be reached at (813) 259-7659.

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