By Karen Kennedy
Although cardboard boxes line the hallways on the second floor of 30 W. Main St., Carmel Utilities has officially relocated to its new home above the Evan Lurie Arts Gallery. The utilities staff now shares newly-remodeled offices with the staff of the department of community relations and economic development and the Carmel Redevelopment Commission.
Given the recent resignations within the CRC, Megan McVickers is currently in the spacious and newly renovated office by herself.
According to a worksheet provided by City Hall, the CRC no longer leases space directly from Evan Lurie. Instead, Carmel City Utilities is leasing the space directly from Evan Lurie and is subleasing to the DCR and the CRC. Here’s how the rent breaks down:
The total monthly rent for the 6,372 square-foot space is $10,997. Carmel City Utilities is subleasing 1,654 square-feet of that space to the CRC for $2,885 per month.
Carmel Utilities previously occupied 10,000 square feet of space in its former Pedcor-owned home at 760 Third Ave. SW with a monthly rent of $16,850. The CRC previously occupied 6,097 square-feet of space in the Lurie building with a monthly rent of $8,891.
The common area maintenance fees of $898 per month also will be shared, with the utilities department paying 74 percent ($665) and the CRC paying 26 percent ($233).
Carmel City Utilities and the CRC are the only city departments that are not housed in a city-owned building.
At one point, it was considered by the city to move the utilities department into potential office space in the water tower at West Main Street and Shelbourne Road. However, that plan never came to fruition.
“The water tower on the west side was built so offices could be placed in it later if needed,” said Mayor Jim Brainard in a statement. “(There are) I believe about five floors … lots of space. They have never been built out. At this time, with that area fairly undeveloped it doesn’t make sense to put employees out there due to the amount of time they would spend going back and forth to the central part of the city where they need to be. Further, the offices need to be easily accessible to the public for billing questions, new hookups, etc.”
Need to make a payment?
The billing office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and there is a secure drop-box for after-hours payments. For more information about the new location, contact Sue Maki at 571-2673 or e-mail her at [email protected].