COLUMBUS — In a surprise move, the Columbus City Council announced by a press release on Friday afternoon that the city has approved the purchase of a downtown law building on South Ludington Street to make room for the Columbus Police Department, the Eastern Columbia County Joint Municipal Court and the Columbia County Probation and Parole Departments.

The building is currently owned by attorneys Al Strohschein and Karl Green, who operate their law partnership in it. It was built in 1964 on the spot formerly occupied by a portion of the Rudalt Theater.

The move was approved by a 6-0 vote in closed session on Tuesday. It was never placed on an agenda for an open session, and has not been openly discussed at a council meeting to date.

Strohschein said that he first proposed the idea to city administrator Boyd Kraemer, and that preliminary discussions took place before the election of Mayor Bob Link this April.

According to the press release, the city will pay $270,000 for the building, which contains 5,988 square feet, including a spacious basement. The purchase also includes a four-car garage, which will provide space for squad cars, bicycles and records.

The built-in furniture will also stay with the building.

Link provided the following statement in the city's press release: "This building is perfectly suited for the police department and is a relatively inexpensive burden to the taxpayer. There has been a need for this building for many years, but the cost was always a barrier. This is a very reasonable, long-term solution of our space needs."

The police department will move from the city's historic late-19th century city hall, where its space, by all accounts, leaves much to be desired. While almost all city leaders in recent years have agreed on the need for a new home for the department, there has been no consensus on where that should be up until now.

In 2005, an ad hoc advisory committee held numerous meetings on plans for a new $3 million public safety building which was proposed to be built at the corner of Dickason Boulevard and Mill Street. Architectural and financial planning was done and debated by that committee and the city council, which gave the project its preliminary approval.

The project stalled, however, in 2006, when the city became embroiled in political turmoil. Many believe that it gave impetus to recall elections in the summer of 2006, as well as the passage of a referendum which severely limited city spending on construction projects. That referendum has since been modified by the voters, but its impact continues.

Strohschein said that the law practice must vacate the building by mid-September, with the city planning to complete its renovation by Jan. 1.

The city plans to add an elevator going to the basement and a video security system.

"Columbus has needed a building for the police department for many, many years," Strohschein said in the press release. "The community identifies the building as a law building and a marker noting that fact is affixed to it."

"A lot of credit should go to Lt. Dennis Weiner, acting police chief, and Boyd Kraemer for getting their hands on this and not letting go," Link said in the release. "I'd also like to give the city council a lot of credit for having the courage to get this done without being able to get feedback from their constituents due to confidentiality rules surrounding the purchase of city property."

The next major question for the city to take up will be the future plan for and usage of city hall.

Director of economic development and energy sustainability Steve Sobiek said Friday that his office (which is currently a cubicle in the hallway at city hall) will move to the former Anchor Bank building south of city hall - which is set to be re-named the Columbus Collaborative Center.

That building - also the source of much contention since the city purchased, moved and began to renovate it in the early part of this decade - will provide office space for the recreation department (possibly including a teen center), a city business center and the offices of economic development and energy sustainability.

The city hopes to occupy it by September.

Kraemer was out of the office on vacation on Friday, and Weiner was also unavailable.

The city hall has three stories above ground, the top two of which contain a historic auditorium. The Columbus Auditorium Corporation is attempting to raise funds to restore that part of the facility, which has not been used for more than 60 years.

pscharf@capitalnewspapers.com