Ocean City Mayor Wants Movement On Public Safety Building Upgrade

OCEAN CITY – A delayed renovation of a more-than-a-century-old public building could see progress in 2018. 
Ocean City’s Public Safety Building houses the police department, municipal court, and social services.
At 835 Central Ave., it’s close to the center of the city’s downtown, and a short walk from City Hall at Ninth Street. The building originally housed Ocean City’s first high school. It has served as the police headquarters for about 60 years.
It’s unlikely that construction will start this year, according to Ocean City spokesman Doug Bergen, but hopes are to settle on a plan and begin working toward a final design by year-end.
Mayor Jay Gillian said action on a new building is overdue.
“If it were entirely up to me we would have done it already,” said Gillian, speaking with reporters Dec. 28, after the last City Council meeting of 2017. “I am not a patient mayor.”
Gillian had repeatedly stated since he was elected in 2010 that improvements are needed at the public safety building.
Gillian said he plans to seek reelection in 2018, which would mean a third term as the city’s mayor. He cited ongoing capital improvement projects like the public safety building as part of his reason to seek another term.
A sign on the exterior of the building states “Established 1884,” although that likely refers to the founding of Ocean City itself, created by referendum that year.
According to Bergen, the building was built in 1902, to serve as a high school. When a new high school was completed at Fifth Street in the 1920s, the building was used for younger students. It was renovated as the public safety building in the mid-1960s.
With Ocean City in the midst of a cold snap, Gillian said the Public Safety building is impossible to keep warm in the winter and remains uncomfortable for staff in the summer.
That’s often the case in old buildings, which can be a challenge to maintain.
As he made the comment, he gestured to water stains on the ceiling of council chambers in City Hall, another historic building in constant use. That building, built in 1914, is on the National Register of Historic Places and underwent a considerable renovation after being damaged during Hurricane Sandy.
There is $17.5 million in the city’s capital plan for a new public safety building, Bergen said. He said that’s not an appropriation, or even a cost estimate, but rather a placeholder in the budget.
The city originally expected to tackle the project in 2017, but it was delayed early that year when city officials approved the latest $112 million capital plan in February. 
“There wasn’t a lot of enthusiasm for proceeding immediately” on the Public Safety Building, Bergen said. One proposal would have built a new building on a vacant lot adjacent to the existing building, with parking for police vehicles underneath.
The existing building continues to serve, but there are issues with compliance with the current flood regulations and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, issues which would need to be addressed in any renovation or reconstruction.
Asked about the potential to demolish the building and start over, Bergen said anything could be on the table, but that would run into issues of historic preservation.
“They want to look at different concepts for the coming year,” Bergen said of the city administration. When there is a consensus on a concept for the project, he expects the city will hold town hall meetings on the plans.
“As with anything, they like to include the public in the planning stages.” 
Police Chief Chad Callahan was not immediately available for comment Jan. 2. In previous interviews, he’s stated that the available space and the condition of the building lead to challenges for his department, which has 57 full-time officers.
The building has a small front desk area to accommodate people walking into the police department, and in published reports, Callahan has mentioned concerns for the department’s temporary holding area meeting state requirements for contemporary detention facilities.
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.