Transformation begins, old police station to become welcome center

Volunteers removed an assortment of miscellaneous and abandoned furniture, including this glass room divider, as the first step in renovating Alachua’s old police station into a community welcome center.

Originally a post office and once a police station, one building downtown will soon experience another life as a community welcome center.

14801 Main Street in downtown Alachua is a shell of a building. It has sat dormant since 2007, when the City of Alachua Police Department relocated to a bigger, better facility.

It has since sat empty, save some dusty, abandoned furniture and other relics of past occupants.

By the end of the year, the Alachua Chamber of Commerce hopes to reopen its doors as a community welcome center.

The renovated and refurbished space will hold a chamber office, museum-like displays done by the local historical society, as well as public bathrooms, said Jim Brandenburg, principal of Alachua Elementary and member of the chamber’s board of directors.

Built in 1961, the 1,800 sq. ft. space originally housed the Alachua Post Office, remnants of which were discovered upon gutting the building last weekend in preparation to start renovations.

Among desks and chairs left from the police department days, a full-sized, official U.S. postal service blue mailbox emerged from the dust.

Specially qualified volunteers from the non-profit organization Rebuilding Together went in last week to remove lead-painted doorframes and asbestos-filled panels.

Brandenburg said the building needs a lot more updates to meet current codes before it is ready for use. The ductwork for the heating and air system needs to be redone, the plumbing and electric systems need some tweaks, and entrances and exists must be improved to current American Disabilities Act standards.

But, he added, “Fortunately, the building’s structure is very good,” so there is no need for any major rebuilding.

Local architect Paul Stressing has donated his time as an advisor on the project, and volunteers from Rebuilding Together and the Walmart distribution center are involved in the project too.

Brandenburg explained that the funding is coming in part from the chamber and will be supplemented by grants, in-kind donations from the community and a lot of fundraising.

Last year, a general contractor estimated the cost of the entire project would be between $70,000 and $80,000. Brandenburg said the chamber hopes to get it done for about half as much.

The chamber’s goal is to have the welcome center up and running by the end of the year, but much of the cosmetic work, both interior and exterior, will be ongoing, dependant on funds.

Once it’s open, the center will have information and literature available on community activities and city history.

Referring to the volunteer efforts he saw last weekend in gutting the place, Brandenburg said this is an example of how things get done in Alachua.

“No one here has a lot of money,” he said, “But that doesn’t keep us from getting something done.”

On Saturday, local businesses donated food for the volunteers, who, in turn, were donating their services.

“If something needs to get done, people pitch in and contribute what they can,” he said.