County votes to buy 515 North Main Street for county departments after final punch‑list work

Alachua County commissioners authorized the county to execute the second amendment to its lease and proceed with the purchase of the 515 North Main Street property following discussion of remaining punch‑list items and negotiated price adjustments.

County manager and facilities staff briefed the board on the final items needing work. Will Boyette, chief deputy supervisor of elections, said his office supports buying the building and that staff and owner representatives had clarified solutions to the items that remained: “we think buying this building and moving forward seems to be the path to solutions,” he said. Facilities director Charlie Jackson told commissioners the remaining items total roughly $18,000 and that the building was constructed to design and is functional.

During questioning, Commissioner Cornell sought clarity about warranty assignments and the first amendment to the lease; staff and the county attorney acknowledged that the first amendment and certain supporting exhibits were inadvertently not included in the agenda packet and will be supplied. Robert Livingston, county counsel, explained that the lease set a $3.5 million tenant‑improvement cap and provided a framework for negotiating overruns; the second amendment reconciles those overruns and the agreed credits.

The board voted to authorize the chair to execute the second amendment and the purchase and to approve the additional work totaling about $18,027 for supervisor‑requested items. The motion passed 4–1 (Commissioner Cornell in dissent). Staff said closing could be scheduled once closing documents are finalized; the county and owner will sign warranty/assignment documents at or just before closing.

Next steps: complete the remaining punch‑list work, finalize warranty assignment paperwork, and schedule closing; staff will return required documentation and a six‑month operational cost report before the 2017 budget cycle if requested.