Jacksonville redrawing public safety facility plans

The Jacksonville City Council agreed Monday to have an architecture firm draw new plans for the cities new public safety and municipal complex to save $513,000 in construction costs. Florida-based Architects Design Group, gave the council an estimate of $108,300 for the new plans and said it will take 13 to 16 weeks for the redesign. The council hopes to be able to start accepting bids for the project in December if the new design is approved. Jarrod Simmons, the city’s finance officer, said the cost to build the complex must be less than the $14.6 million the city has budgeted for the project. The latest proposal includes a new police station, jail and City Hall, but no office space for the Water Works and Sewer Board. That will remain at the current city office space on Church Avenue. Council chairman Mark Jones said without a utilities office in the new building, the city would save an estimated $513,000.