Central Baldwin Set to Move to New Office
by Guy Busby, Staff Reporter
Baldwin Register, March 24, 2009

 
ROBERTSDALE - With construction complete, the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce could start moving into the organization’s new office as early as this weekend, according to officials.

Robertsdale Mayor Charles Murphy said city crews completed work on the exterior of the building and the facility should be ready for occupancy.

“From the city’s point of view, we’re basically finished up,” Murphy said. “Everything looks really nice. The city crews did an excellent job on the outside.”

The new chamber building has 3,200 square feet of space, according to city plans. The structure will allow the chamber to move out of several rooms in an office complex on Highway 59.

“We’ve been wanting to put them in a permanent structure for a long time,” he said. Murphy said the new building will not only provide more office and meeting space for the chamber, but will also be a Baldwin County welcome center at a key location for the area. The office is near U.S. 90 on the north side of Robertsdale and next to the rows of American flags flying from the city memorial site at the intersection of the two highways.

The Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce building was recently completed at its new location on Highway 59 near U.S. 90. Chamber members should soon begin work to move into the $450,000 facility.

“Everyone in the community can really be proud of this,” he said.

Chamber officials are preparing for the move as soon as both the group’s board and city officials can officially agree on the wording of the lease, said Jamie Mangion chamber director of operations. She said chamber members hope to relocate by Saturday if the final papers can be approved in time.

Murphy said the city borrowed $450,000 for the building and site preparation. Construction costs were $347,000, the mayor said. Of the remaining $103,000, the largest portion, $50,000 was for the parking lot and sidewalks. Much of the rest of the money was spent on drainage, irrigation and other exterior projects, Murphy said.

A sign with the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce’s new logo marks the entrance to the organization's new building.

The city will own the building and lease the structure to the chamber for $300 a month, Murphy said. The chamber will also pay utilities, which are expected to cost about $400 a month, officials said in earlier reports.