Projected to open in late 2024, Brookhaven’s Planning, Engineering, and Permitting (PEP) building has been delayed for months because it cannot pass its own city inspections.
Brookhaven has for two years laid the groundwork to move out of its makeshift city hall at 4362 Peachtree Road – a building with dated conference rooms, too-small office space, and unreliable AV and HVAC systems.
Brookhaven’s $78 million City Centre’s widely publicized and highly anticipated opening in summer 2025 will move the majority of its employees into a glass-domed building that looms over Peachtree Road at North Druid Hills Road.
About 50 members of the city’s staff and contractors will be splitting off from the new City Centre to move into the PEP building, but can’t because contractors have not yet brought to code a staircase and a sprinkler system inside an elevator.
“The city of Brookhaven holds itself to the same building standards for a public building as it does for the rest of the development community and private buildings,” city spokesperson Burke Brennan said. “In short, we have not issued ourselves a CO (Certificate of Occupancy) because we have not passed our inspections yet.”
In December 2023, the city approved spending $4.5 million to hire Hollandsworth Construction for the renovation and $393,000 for furnishings.
Facility Services Director Greg Klima is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city’s facilities and the management of city-owned properties. For months, Klima has been delivering the message that the project is nearly complete.
At the Feb. 11 Brookhaven City Council work session, Klima said Facility Services was “counting down the move.”
“The paving that was scheduled for today has been rescheduled for Friday due to the weather. The back stairs have been completed. Still waiting on a schedule for the fire sprinkler in the elevator shaft,” Klima said in his bi-weekly department report.
At Brookhaven City Council work session on Feb. 25, Klima said the “biggest goal” facility services has been working on was moving into the PEP building.
“We met on site today with the fire marshal and contractors. The only thing keeping us from an occupancy permit at this point is that fire sprinkler issue, and we’ve been told it’ll be complete in about two weeks,” Klima said. “I’m pressing hard to get a firm date, and once we get that firm date, then we can schedule our ribbon-cutting and other things.”
“We are holding our contractor accountable for the final item holding us up, and it should be rectified by April,” Brennan said.
The PEP building will eventually house Brookhaven’s Public Works, Engineering, Permitting, Community Development, Zoning, Inspections, Code Enforcement, and Facility Services departments.
Located at 2665 Buford Highway, the PEP building is the former home of the Brookhaven Police Department. In July 2023, Brookhaven Council members held a ribbon cutting on a brand-new public safety building overlooking the Peachtree Creek Greenway. It houses the Brookhaven Police Department, municipal court, and emergency management facilities.
The city said the reason for the separation of Planning, Engineering, and Permitting is so visitors will be able to conduct business more efficiently.
“The City of Brookhaven is growing and adapting to the evolving needs of its community at large. In order to efficiently address the transactional necessities of developers, the PEP building will serve as a centralized facility comprised entirely of the municipal departments that respond and serve those requirements,” Brennan said.
