On Thursday, the city of Gardendale closed its real estate deal on the city hall building at 970 Main Street. T Investments, LLC, a developer for Halstead Contractors LLC, bought the facility for CVS for $1.85 million. A CVS store located in Gardendale at 1303 Decatur Hwy. is planning to move to a new store at the city hall site.

The city has until September 2012 to vacate the building; it will not pay rent for the remainder of its stay there.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Gardendale Mayor Othell Phillips hosted a meeting with several architects in which he and other officials explained what type of facility they want to replace city hall.

The city on June 17 purchased a 22-acre piece of property on Mt. Olive Road — the formerly proposed Caufield Square site next to Gardendale Elementary School — for $1.5 million.

Plans call for a “city center” at the Caufield Square site, including a new city hall facility, a park-like common area and retail stores. The city is hoping to sell parcels to restaurants or other businesses.

“Our long-term goal is to sell these pieces off to make our money back and to bring in revenue,” Phillips said.

He said the city hall and inspections office would move to the new site, and the police department would be moved to another location yet to be determined.

Much site work has been done at the property, according to Gardendale’s city engineer Rick Nail, of LBYD Civil and Structural Engineers.

He said main trunk lines for storm drainage are in place and the site is prepped in other ways.

According to Phillips, the city is considering building a 4,000-square-foot “safe room,” possibly a basement. He said the city hall facility would likely be about 7,000 square feet.

Architects have until Aug. 15 to turn in their proposals.