BENSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — BENSON, Ariz. — The Benson City Council has accepted a building donated by Aluminum Dynamics Inc., the company that previously planned to build an aluminum recycling facility in the city.
The more than 12,000-square-foot building could become Benson’s new City Hall. The council approved accepting the donation in a 4-3 vote last week after considering the matter twice. Council members Cindy Tapia, Mark Boyle and Crystal Anderson voted against accepting the building.
The donation comes months after ADI pulled back from its controversial plans to build an aluminum recycling plant near Highway 80 and Seventh Street in Benson. In June, the company said it would build the facility at a different location, avoiding a potential lawsuit from Attorney General Kris Mayes' office.
Benson Mayor. Joe Konrad, telling KGUN he asked if they'd donate the building to the city after learning ADI had to return the land to a more natural state at the request of Union Pacific— the owner of the land ADI was leasing. Now, a building donated by the company will instead become a centralized location for Benson city government.
“I voted to approve the donation because it makes sense for Benson,” Konrad said.
The city has been working toward creating a new City Hall for six years, including taking out a bond for the project.
Konrad said rising construction costs have reduced what the city can accomplish with the money it previously set aside.
“That money that was left for City Hall continues to decline because what you could build for $1.8 million five years ago you can't even touch for close to that anymore,” Konrad said.
The city has $1.8 million available to relocate and renovate the donated building to meet its needs.
“We don't need a new city hall,” Boyle said.
He argues the money could instead be directed toward other city needs, including police and fire services.
“It's going to take all of our money that we could have used for police and fire, and now it's just going to be absorbed on something that we don't need,” Boyle said.
Konrad says city employees need additional space and are currently spread among several locations. That includes the city's building department, which operates out of the library.
“It really brings everything together on this block where people can come down and do their business with the city in one place,” Konrad said.
The donated building is expected to be moved to the corner of Sixth Street and Patagonia Street, across from the current city hall annex.
The City Council is expected to vote on the contract to move the building at its next meeting.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
