By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - By this time next year, West Chester police and Butler County Area III Court Judge Robert Hendrickson will be in new offices at 9577 Beckett Road near Union Centre.

A 187,000-square-foot building at Beckett and West Chester Roads, the former home of AutoNation and iMotors.com, is being remodeled into the West Chester Safety Services Center.

Trustees purchased the site a year ago for $4 million. The township planning and zoning offices already are located in the building.

The $5.5 million police remodeling is on schedule for the department to move in September from the old township hall, 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, said Mark Fitzgerald, township service director.

Trustees approved $323,000 for new police furniture and filing cabinets last week, while expressing some concerns about the building's leaky roof, which remains under warranty for another five years.

Butler County commissioners are paying $250,000 for renovations to house a southwestern Butler County courtroom here in exchange for using the space rent-free for 15 to 20 years. Trustees accepted the deal after some debate on why the county would not also continue paying $5,000 a year for the space.

"It's a compromise," said Dave Gully, township administrator. He said the county payment upfront will finance all the court's remodeling needs.

Trustee Catherine Stoker said the township also will save money because police can walk down the hall to court when needed, instead of commuting to Hamilton and waiting for a trial to begin.

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E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com