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By C. Ruth Ebrahim

Bowling Green and county officials saw different futures for the Union Bankshares building in town.

As Union Bankshares (UBSH) celebrates the opening of a new Carmel Church facility, Caroline government plans to purchase the building owned by the corporation.

"When we made that decision that the county seat long-term would be in Bowling Green, we knew we'd need space," Caroline Board of Supervisors Chairman Maxie Rozell said. Moving county administration, the commissioner of the revenue and the treasurer's office into the former UBSH building will cost the county approximately $3.7 million.

The 18,150 sq. ft. building sits on Main Street across from the historic courthouse. Director of Public Works Allen Ramsay said that it would cost the county about $10 million to build a new county administration office. To build a new office the same square footage as the UBSH building would cost $2 million more than the county's plan to purchase and renovate the building, he said.

A county consultant estimated that purchasing the property would cost $2.5 million. County officials are in contract negotiations and expect the deal to be complete within six to eight weeks, said Caroline County Administrator Percy Ashcraft.

The county was able to negotiate with the bank for a purchase price of $2.1 million, according to Ashcraft.

Renovating and outfitting the building to meet county government needs will cost about $1.2 million, according to a preliminary budget prepared by Moseley Architects in March. "We tried to hold up negotiations out of courtesy to the town," said Ashcraft.

Town officials were working with the University of Mary Washington on the possibility of opening a satellite campus in Bowling Green. But, talks stalled after the university experienced recent turmoil in its administration, according to Bowling Green Mayor David Storke.

At a joint meeting with the board of supervisors in June, Storke and Town Manager Stephen Manster detailed another plan--to provide about five classrooms in the UBSH building to Germanna Community College. "I think the town of Bowling Green has a college feel to it. I personally feel that, temporarily, it would be a huge home run," Storke said.

He said that he realizes if there's a college campus in Caroline in 10 years, it would likely be on the western side of the county or near the high school. In the meantime, Storke argued, it would be better to have some type of higher education presence in the county than none.

Germanna Community College began the process of analyzing Caroline as a future campus site, but there hasn't been much progress recently.

Germanna officials suggested that Caroline look at opening a technical facility rather than an academic facility. Some state legislators said it would be hard to finance a plan for a college campus in Caroline without more population.

The most recent news is that Germanna plans to host three classes at the Bowling Green Library headquarters this fall. One class--history, student development and English composition--will be offered on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The news doesn't meet the town's concerns about the use of the former UBSH building or Bowling Green economic development.

Since Union Bankshares decided to move its operations center to Carmel Church, taking about 120 employees with it, town officials have been concerned about the economic impact.

The county plans to move about 75 full-time and part-time employees into the building, according to Ashcraft.

"Our employees are just shifting and aren't replacing the ones lost by Union Bankshares, but we're not leaving," he said.

With the county purchasing the building, the town will also stop receiving property taxes. But, county officials didn't budge when asked about using part of the building for college classrooms.

Madison District Supervisor Wayne Acors said that the office space had already been configured at a reasonable cost. He said that he didn't want to "tinker with the plans and raise costs."

County officials said that using the former bank building for offices comes close to meeting the county's 20-year space needs.

"The commissioner of the revenue is busting out of its seams. There is need for space for them to operate," Director of Public Works Ramsay said.

The commissioner of the revenue and treasurer's office will be located on the first floor, and the county administration offices on the second floor, according to plans for space configuration. County administration and the treasurer's office is currently located behind the courthouse. The commissioner of the revenue's office, and its DMV function, is now located in part of the historic courthouse that has not been renovated. County officials feel that the two offices should be together in one building.

"We're taking care of two major areas that citizens come in contact with on a regular basis," Ashcraft said.

Future plans, though it has not been detailed by county staff, is to relocate fire and rescue into the office space currently used by county administration. The sheriff's office is also in discussions to expand into the space currently used by the treasurer's office.

Caroline Sheriff Tony Lippa had before requested that the sheriff's office be given the opportunity to move into the UBSH building. He said that the secure set-up of the facility and the additional space would meet his departments needs. The county did not entertain his request.

County officials said that they are looking at the possibilities of either building a breezeway between the current sheriff's office and the current treasurer's office or filling in the area between the two buildings with more useable space.

Ashcraft also said, though the office shifting will help meet short-term needs for fire and rescue and the sheriff's office, that a future public safety building "is not off the table completely."

Years ago, the county was looking at the possibility of building a public safety building in the area where the old jail now sits.

Plans are moving forward to demolish the old jail as part of the courthouse green project--in which Ennis Street will be closed and areas between the circuit courthouse and general district courthouse will be made into a lawn area.

But, there are no current plans to build anything in the space vacated by the old jail. There may also be plans to move the registrar's office into the former UBSH building, Ashcraft said, but that has not been finalized.

Fall Germanna Community College classes at Bowling Green library:
S History (HIS 121) Monday 6–8:45 p.m.
Student Development (SDV 100) Tuesday 7–7:50 p.m.
English Composition I (ENG 111) Wednesday 6–8:45 p.m.

RUTH EBRAHIM/ Editor
The Caroline Progress
804-633-5005
editor@carolineprogress.com
www.carolineprogress.com