Now that staff has moved into the new Justice Center building on Main Street, the Bonney Lake City Council is looking to move in even more city staff, instead of leasing the remaining space to commercial interests.

City Administrator Don Morrison told the council May 17 questions had been asked by the city’s leasing agent about space on the second floor of the 22,000-square-foot building and it was time to make the “philosophical decision” as to whether to lease the space or move additional staff from City Hall or the planning annex.

The council unanimously agreed the best decision was to move staff.

Originally designed as a temporary facility for the city that could function as an anchor for the city’s mixed-use downtown core, the Justice Center was to house retail space on the first floor and commercial office space on the second and third.

The original idea was, the addition of retail space would help pay down the $650,000 per year debt service on the bonds for the $4.2 million building.

But after denying a lease earlier this year with investment company Edward Jones and after moving staff into the facility, the council has leaned toward taking over the entire building for city offices.

“That was an economy that was very different from now,” Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman said of the original design, noting his support for moving additional staff to the new building.

Councilman James Rackley said after the cost of tenant improvements, leasing the space would net the city only $40,000 during five years and that it would be worth more than $8,000 a year to have staff together in a single building.

Morrison said May 18 the number was a pretty good estimate, but reiterated the city could handle the hit, though it would mean not having as much money for the acquisition of remaining properties needed to build the city’s planned civic center and new City Hall.

“It might squeeze the budget a little bit, but the bottom line is it’s doable,” he told the council.

Morrison added there would still be the expense of preparing the building for staff.

“Either way, you still have to pay for the remodel costs,” he said.

If the entire Justice Center were to be used for city staff, the idea is to move workers from the planning annex, which includes a mobile unit for which the city presently pays $1,000 per month, a savings of more money each year than commercial leases at the Justice Center are expected to bring in.

Morrison also said the leasing agent told him the annex would probably be easier to lease, which the city could do if workers are moved to the Justice Center.

Morrison said there are no numbers on what kind of savings the city might expect by having more workers under a single roof, but said it would certainly make communication easier.

There is no timeline for moving employees to the new building, but Morrison said the hope is to get people in by the end of the year.