Oswego trustees recently authorized the purchase of some land as part of plans to expand the existing Public Works facility in the village.
The village’s project consultants Williams Architects, during the preliminary phase of design, determined that additional property was necessary for an expanded Public Works Department facility lasting 25 years and beyond, Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said in a report to trustees.
The architects conducted a space needs assessment and feasibility study for the department based on the “tremendous growth” of Oswego in recent years.
The results of the study considered existing space and future space needs.
The Village Board in early 2024 authorized the hiring of the Itasca-based Williams Architects to identify options for the department including possible expansion of the existing Public Works facility at 100 Theodore Drive, which was built in 2002.
Staff has outgrown the current facility, officials said.
“As the design began, we realized that we really needed additional property. While the property we have could work, it would really cramp the expansion and put us in the same position in the future,” Di Santo told trustees. “We would rather have this building last for 50-plus years.”
The village approached the owner of the vacant property next to the east side of the Public Works facility about selling the empty site, Di Santo said.
“We engaged with the property owner and came to a negotiated agreement on the purchase,” Di Santo said.
The Village Board authorized the execution of a contract to purchase the parcel for $600,000.
Oswego officials said expanding the Public Works facility is vital, since the village has grown quite a bit since the building was constructed in 2002.
Some of the key concerns for the Public Works Department include having equipment stored outdoors year-round and that office space, lockers and restrooms at the current site are inadequate to serve existing and future staff, village officials said.
The board has looked at four options concerning the Public Works facility.
The projected cost to maintain the existing facility with some modifications is an estimated $17 million to $18.7 million. This was called Option 1.
However, trustees appeared more supportive of two other options. Option 2 would maintain a portion of the existing facility with some modifications at an estimated $20.7 million to $22.4 million. Others had interest in Option 3, which would involve more construction on the existing site at an estimated cost of $37 million to $40.2 million.
Yet another variant, called Option 4, which garnered the least feedback, would involve a full construction project on a new site at an estimated cost of $40.6 million to $44 million.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
