It appears there will be no renovation in the Blue Building’s immediate future. McMinnville officials rejected a measure Tuesday night that would have hired AEI to begin design services for the building’s renovation as the future home for McMinnville Police Department.

The measure failed 4-3. Aldermen Jimmy Bonner, Mike Neal, Ken Smith and Billy Wood voted against hiring the architect, while Mayor Jimmy Haley, Vice Mayor Ben Newman and Alderman Rick Barnes voted in favor.

Switching sides and ending what appeared to be a done deal on renovation were Bonner and Smith. Both aldermen had voted to hire AEI when the measure was before Building and Grounds Committee members in September.

While Smith gave no reason for his decision, Bonner says voters approved Park Theatre renovation but were against Blue Building renovation by the 2012 referendum.

The city’s Police Department deserves a new facility, not a renovated building, says Bonner.

"I think the police department deserves a better place than the Blue Building," he said. "They need a police department. We can take $1.5 million and build a brand new police department, a police department they actually want, what they need and what they desire. It’s going to take $2.9 million to start out and up to $3.5 million to renovate the Blue Building."

Bonner says he prefers demolishing the Blue Building and utilizing the land for a new police facility, as well as a city complex to house all the city’s departments.

Without a design firm to create a full set of drawings for Blue Building renovation, the building will remain in its current state and McMinnville Police Department will stay at its current address at Red Road Business Park.