PORTSMOUTH, Va. — City officials need to relocate dozens of city workers and only have 30 days to do it.
After a judge lifted the stay on the condemnation, essentially approving it, on the civic center buildings that were condemned, except for the jail, the 30-day deadline to have employees out of the buildings began.
The buildings were condemned in July and inspectors cited unsafe conditions.
“We are the ones bringing the condemnation so we have to move and we want to move for the safety of personnel here,” explained Assistant City Attorney, Burle Stromberg.
A judge ruled Wednesday, allowing the condemnation of certain civic center buildings. In the coming weeks, the same judge will decide the future of the Portsmouth City Jail.
According to Stromberg, the building people need to vacate are the magistrate's office, police administrative offices, and police’s evidence room.
He said, “There’s all kinds of old records, files that have to be moved. Some of them have mold on them so they can’t be moved until the hazard waste people come in and bag it and there’s just a lot to do.”
Right now, leaders are looking for open rental spaces to move all the facilities.
Stromberg explained, “They are negotiating with several private entities for space, and I can’t reveal that right now, but we have a lot of options.”
Stromberg said once a lease is signed, officials will let the public know where the new spaces are located.