Public Weighs In on Proposed Sale of Former Cheyenne Police Department
The proposed sale of the former Cheyenne Police Department building to the Diocese of Cheyenne has some residents questioning why the city never formally advertised the property for sale.
The Diocese, which has offered the city $1,090,000 for the property located at 2020 Capitol Avenue, plans to use the space for its offices because they've outgrown the existing Chancery building at 2121 Capitol Avenue.
"We've attempted through petitioning to make room for all of our employees, but that petitioning has proven woefully inadequate," said Father Carl Gallinger, who serves as Vicar General for the Bishop of the Diocese.
"When we learned that the police department may in fact be available, we desired very much to be considered for that property," added Gallinger.
"We think that the future of that building is in great hands with the Diocese and the commitment that it has to that area of Cheyenne," said Paul Hickey, a Cheyenne attorney who has represented the Diocese for several decades.
But Jim Weaver, a realtor with #1 Properties, believes the city should delay the proposed sale for 45 to 60 days and "solicit other proposals."
"That would give people at least an opportunity to present some other ideas," said Weaver. "Even the Children's Museum was brought up as a potential site if things don't really work out for them."
Weaver says he has a client that's also interested in using the building for office space and believes they would "present a proposal that's an improvement over what's currently being discussed."
Boyd Wiggam, staff attorney with the Wyoming Liberty Group, also criticized the city for not being more transparent in its selling of the property, saying the proposed sale was a "done-deal" prior to Monday night's public hearing.
"We certainly knew that there was a building that was going to be addressed in some fashion by the City of Cheyenne at some point," said Hickey.
"We have certainly thought that the process was transparent from the perspective of the Diocese of saying when you decide what you would like to do with that property we'd certainly be interested," Hickey added.
The Cheyenne City Council's Finance Committee will take up the issue when it meets at 11 a.m. on Monday.