He says he can't reveal the names of the companies or buildingssuggested, but confirmed that a few of the companies representproperties such as Metro Square, Wells Fargo Place and HillcrestCenter. The department currently pays $425,000 annually for about30,000 sf at two Downtown buildings, including its three-year,15,000-sf lease for its main offices at the 12-story CommerceBuilding at 8 E. Fourth St.

The department is being formed from the consolidation of theOffice of Licensing, Fire Inspection, Code and Enforcement and anew division of Information and Complaints. "We rely on the publicto let us know where the problems are, we get about 2,000complaints a month, and can track them by computer to find out howthey're being attended," Kessler says.

The former Office of Licensing department transferred to theCommerce Building in 2004 from the Lowry Professional Building, inwhat was a controversial move back then, Kessler says. "We'vealways been either in City Hall or across the street," he says."The move away from the Downtown would be difficult. Our currentbuilding is being converted to affordable housing, we have to beout by November, hopefully sooner than later. We're torn betweenstaying Downtown, or going outside, where parking would be moreplentiful."