EPHRATA - Grant County purchased a new building for its building and planning staff, abandoning plans to construct a new building.

The county spent $724,522 to buy the building located at 264 W. Division St. in Ephrata. The building currently houses the law firm Lemargie, Kenison, Wyman and Whitaker. The county is also leasing the parking lot near the building for $2,500 a month.

The county originally planned to construct a new building for the Department of Community Development. The county hired Spokane-based architecture firm Bernardo Wills to design the possible building, with the goal of having it cost about $1 million to construct.

Commissioner Cindy Carter said the firm brought back plans for a 6,000- to 7,000-square-foot building, which would have cost about $1.6 million. When commissioners asked for a plan closer to what they wanted to pay, architects provided a plan for a 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot building, which wouldn't have been an improvement.

When county officials were interviewing potential firms, Bernardo Wills stated the building would cost about $150 a square foot, Commissioner Carolann Swartz said

"It turns around and it's about $300 (per square foot). It's kind of like a salesman. They'll promise you anything until you get there to really make the deal then it's totally different," Commissioner Carolann Swartz said.

Carter and Swartz said hiring the architect was a good process to go through, since it gave them perspective on the price of the new building.

The new building will be about twice the size of the department's present location on First Avenue, near the courthouse, Carter said. The county pays $3,750 a month to rent the present location.

"It's upstairs, downstairs and then we have the parking lot on the other side (of the building)," Swartz said. "They're sitting on top of each other over there right now."

The present occupants want a year to leave, but the department will be able to use the upstairs portion of the building, Carter said. It won't require much remodeling.

"So it's a win-win," she said. "The (new) building would have taken away parking."