Cost to study JEA's crumbling downtown headquarters could reach $3 million

[brainstormer]

I'm sure the article will be practical and based in reality. However, the JEA board lives in some fantasy land. They just significantly raised compensation for the CEO and voted on a $1 million study even though a couple of board members voted against it because they wanted the $3 million study. WTF!

The board runs the agency like its 1950. Part of their plan to raise needed cash is to sell trees and look at the possibility of natural gas. Outdated, wealthy snobs with no vision and complete disregard for the idea that they govern with responsibility and genuine citizenship. No room for servant leadership at JEA. I would love for respected leaders and elected officials in our community to start calling out JEA on their lack of leadership and lack of fiscal conservatism. It's funny how republicans only campaign on being fiscally responsible but never govern that way.

My rant is over.  Sorry.

[UNFurbanist]

I also find it funny how they have almost no foresight when it comes to energy generation. I mean doubling down on coal improvements right before natural gas took off? Plus now the EPA's new rules will make it even harder and expensive since there is essentially a push to phase out coal all together (which is a good thing). There just doesn't seem to be a lot of thinking or innovation going on there. Always playing catch up and rate payers front the bill on dumb choices. Recent solar expansion is good but 50 MWh is a drop in the bucket.

[hiddentrack]

Well this is interesting news from T-U:

JEA spends $400,000 on renovations at same time it mulls new building

When JEA chief executive officer Paul McElroy asked his board of directors in August to approve $1 million to study whether the utility's aging downtown headquarters needs to be torn down, he may have also had something else on his mind.
McElroy didn't mention it at the time, but a $400,000 renovation of the building's 14th floor was already in motion, including about $200,000 on furniture and demolition work to convert the space into what JEA now describes as a "higher density, modern floor layout." The work will be finished in about two weeks.

In a series of written statements to the Times-Union in response to questions about the work, JEA said the revamp is a "pilot project" that "complements the study JEA is pursuing regarding the future of our downtown headquarters."

But when JEA officials made their public case in August for the board of directors to approve money for the study — McElroy initially asked for $3 million — they did not mention the additional $400,000 renovations.

Publicly, JEA has repeatedly asserted that its 19-story downtown headquarters is in such a state of disrepair that the total renovation of the entire building effectively addressing its myriad maintenance issues could cost tens of millions of dollars. Problems run the gamut from plumbing and flooding issues to defects with back-up generators and fire protection deficiencies.

In fact, refurbishing the building might not prove the most cost-effective option. JEA staff wants to explore whether it makes more sense to demolish the tower and rebuild a new one in its place or build a new tower while minimizing maintenance and repairs on the current headquarters. That exploration is the purpose of the study.

More here. It's odd JEA wasn't clear about this in the beginning.

[Overstreet]

 Perhaps a million dollar study doesn't seem that expensive.

Heck just tear it down and build a new one. I know just the experienced company to do it.  That's only a $50-$75 million building plus temporary facilities, new furnishings  and  relocation cost (x 2 relocations). I'm sure construction and FFE wouldn't be more than $150 million.