Kenton County Fiscal Court voted 3-1 this week to sell the two-story brick building at 501 Main St. to the Kenton County Local Board of Health. The building is being sold for $1.5 million, the same amount the county paid for it in March 2001.

Health officials say they want to move the Dressman Health Center at 634 Scott Blvd. to 501 Main St., once they arrange financing for the purchase and spend about $150,000 to convert the main floor and basement into a clinic and storage area. Humpert-Wolnitzek-Howard Architects will continue to occupy leased offices on the top floor.

"They're out of space, out of parking and have inadequate access at (the Dressman Health Center),'' said Scott Kimmich, Kenton County deputy judge-executive.

The Dressman Health Center's new site is on a bus line and is near its clients, many of whom walk or take the bus to the clinic, said Peggy Kiser, spokeswoman for the Northern Kentucky health department. It also offers off-street parking, more space for exam rooms and health education programs and "a lot more storage area,'' she said.

Not everyone is happy with the pending sale.

Covington City Solicitor Jay Fossett said that city staff has been talking to potential developers about possible uses for the Main Street building that would be compatible with MainStrasse's tourist service commercial district.

"We don't think this is the highest and best use," Fossett said. "We envisioned a much more compatible use - retail, commercial, even high-end apartments or condos.''

The county had bought the building at 501 Main St. with the intention of moving its administrative offices there when it built an expanded jail on Court Street. The fiscal court planned to pay for the jail by increasing the county payroll tax. However, the city of Covington challenged the tax in court. The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled in Kenton County's favor in October 2002, and Covington appealed. The Kentucky Supreme Court heard the case six weeks ago, but hasn't ruled.

During the 2002 campaign, Democratic challenger Patrick Hughes criticized then Kenton County Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd and the all-Republican Fiscal Court for buying the building at 501 Main St. instead of leasing office space. Murgatroyd, who has since left his county post for a job in state government, defended the purchase in 2002, saying the county might eventually need the office space.

Kenton County Commissioner Adam Koenig, who cast the sole vote against the sale of the 501 Main St. building, said that his opposition had nothing to do with the health department.

Although Koenig had heard that the judge-executive and staff were negotiating with the health department, he said he didn't know that the Fiscal Court would be asked to vote on the sale Tuesday,especially with no alternative plan for office space, should the Kentucky Supreme Court rule in the county's favor.

"It might have been different if there were alternatives presented, but there weren't, so I didn't feel comfortable voting for it,'' Koenig said.

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com