GREENFIELD — Several city offices will be shuffled around later this year, including the police substation downtown, as the city looks to consolidate locations of city departments.
A modular office building is being constructed at 209 Wells St. for the Department of Public Works. This building will house the Public Works employees that are currently at City Hall. Their move will allow for other departments to shuffle their locations, though the downtown police substation will no longer have a space at 114 Main St. once the city leaves the location.
Mayor William Martin said the moves could happen as soon as mid-November and is expected to happen by at least the end of the year.
The substation is at the Main Street location along with the Planning and Development office. That location is expected to be used for a proposed public safety complex — as long as it is approved by City Council.
The Planning and Development office will be moved to 20 Sanderson St. where the Procurement Department office is, Martin said, joining the building and health departments that it operates. The Procurement Department is then expected to move to City Hall after space is made from the Department of Public Works’ move to 209 Wells St.
This leaves the police substation without a home, though.
Police Chief Robert Haigh said that even if the substation is gone, “I’m going to continue to have a downtown officer,” but isn’t sure if the city will have another office for the department in downtown. The department could end up being located there eventually, if the public safety complex is built.
Haigh said the department has two officers who have downtown beats — one in the morning and one in the evening. The officers work a rotating schedule with four days on and then two days off.
Haigh said the location gave officers a place to write reports and talk to residents without having to go back to High Street, which is nearly 2 miles away and can pose an issue to people without transportation.
Haigh said the downtown location also improves response time because it is more centrally located in the city and it increases the department’s visibility with residents.
On Wells Street, the DPW office is being built next to the department’s garage and salt storage area.
Martin said the building is a modular design, and will have one floor and a basement. The building will have two offices, storage and an area for customers, Martin said.
The building is expected to cost about $300,000, Martin said, and is being constructed by Gill-based Renaissance Builders.
Its construction is being paid for by a combination of retained earnings from sewer and water fees and bond premium money, which is money paid back to the city after it pays off a bond.