The United States Department of Homeland Security will be moving into a new building next year.
Tampa-based Birchwood Properties, a developer that works with the General Services Administration, purchased the former 5th Precinct building on E. Jefferson at St. Jean for $982,000. Birchwood will redevelop the site as an office building with a two-story parking structure and then lease it to the government.
The department looked all around the city before settling on this particular location. "They wanted to locate where they felt they would be making a significant contribution to the development of the area," says Larry Balone from Colliers International, who brokered the deal. "Birchwood sees promise in the Jefferson corridor."
The police vacated the building about a year ago and the city released a bid for the property in late 2006. "At that time, no one was able to execute any kind of purchase agreement that the city was happy with," Balone says. "We were able to buy it outright from the city."
The government held a ceremonial groundbreaking in August. Construction will begin in the spring once site plans are approved and the property is re-zoned. Construction is anticipated to be complete in August 2008. Balone says the developer is working to preserve a portion of the existing building, but that most of the structure will be new.
Homeland Security is currently housed at the Rosa Parks Federal Building on E. Jefferson at Mt. Elliott.
Source: Larry Balone, Colliers
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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