Columbus Government Center working around flood damages, opens some floors of the building

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - It's been less than a week since the Columbus Government Center flooded for the second time in less than a month.

The doors are open now, but officials say it will take some time for all of the floors to be re-opened and visitors to get acclimated to the new entry points.

What was once the main entrance of the government center is all fenced in with a ServPro sign at the front of the gate. ServPro is the company working on the flooding on different floors of the building.

Everyone who wants to visit is asked to enter on the east wing. Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin says repairs may not be finalized until around 2019, but accommodations have been made.

"Some of those offices have been displaced and we have found locations for them so they can continue to do business. It's a new normal for us until we can get everything taken care of," says  Goodwin.

There's a lot of mixed reaction to the change. Some of those in the area think the building should be moved to a different location.

"They need to do a major overhaul of the building or they just need to go ahead and move it to the Carmax Cinema building that's open right down the block here," says Columbus native Donovan Evans.

Others say they see the value of having the government center downtown.

"People know more about the location here. Downtown is next to a lot of landmarks here. It has some historic value. This is a historic district downtown. I can see the value in it being there," says Thomas Price.

Goodwin says there may be a discussion held by city officials on the future of this building soon.

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