By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The city of Hays will locate its new police station and municipal courts downtown at 1100 Fort, the site of Astra Bank. The building has 23,000 square feet of space with room for expansion.
An agreement was formalized Thursday by the Hays City Commission with Astra Bank/AIS, which plans to build a new facility on city-owned land at 27th and Main.
The agreement specifies that the city will pay Astra/AIS $1.8 million for its building and transfer a two-acre parcel of land from its five-acre property at 27th and Main to the bank.
In addition to a banking facility, Astra will also construct a headquarters building and potential retail space on the property.
After reviewing several options, including constructing a new facility, city staff determined the Astra Bank location as the most viable long-term solution for a new police station. It will also cost about $5 million less than the initial plans for a new building.
The estimated cost of new construction was about $13 million, and remodeling the existing Astra Bank facility will cost approximately $8 million.
Astra Bank plans to vacate its downtown location by July 1, 2025.
The city has money budgeted in the capital improvement plan this year for a remodel design of the bank building, which has a full basement and open floor plan.
Construction of the new police and municipal court facility is budgeted for 2025.
"We feel this is a really good opportunity for the city of Hays," said Toby Dougherty, Hays city manager. "It will keep the Hays Police Department and municipal court next to the Ellis County Courthouse and jail."
Moving the municipal operations out of the Law Enforcement Center will open up more space for the sheriff's department, jail and the district courts.
"I agree the utilization of that central property makes a lot more sense for it to be residential and retail, and then keeping the Law Enforcement Center all next to each other," said Mason Ruder, commissioner. "We work very closely with the sheriff's department and other courts. It makes sense to keep it localized there.
"Astra's investment in that property beyond its initial bank is going to be huge, too," Ruder said. "That property's been vacant a long time and now we can start seeing some vertical growth on it."
The city will also develop stormwater retention, using stormwater funds, for the entire 27th and Main acreage.
"The city commission has had its eye on possible apartment development for the remaining south side of the lot," Dougherty said.
In other business, the city commission:
• Approved a $67,000 design contract for engineering services with Driggs Design Group, PA, Hays, related to the reconstruction of 32nd/33rd Streets from Willow to Vine Streets.
• Updated the future land use map:
• Designated the Hays Area Planning Commission as the Hays Area Board of Zoning Appeals.
• Approved the following mayor appointments:
