Polk County commissioners are ready to close on the purchase of two acres selected as the site for a new department of social services (DSS) building.

Following a closed session at the county board&39;s meeting Monday, commissioners approved closing on the $95,000 purchase on Park Street in Columbus.

Commissioners previously extended the closing in order to do testing of the property. The property was determined to be suitable for housing DSS services.

The county plans to make the purchase out of its fund balance.

Commissioners have stressed lately the need to get all services out of the aged Jervey Palmer building in Tryon.

The county is also working on purchasing the former Carolina Classical School in Columbus to house the Meeting Place Senior Center as a senior recreational facility.&bsp; The senior center as well as mental health and veteran&squo;s affairs are also housed in the Jervey Palmer building.

The county has gone out to bid on renovations to move the senior center, which is scheduled to move to Carolina Classical in September.

The county has yet to make a decision on exactly where mental health and veteran&squo;s affairs will be housed, but discussions have been to at least temporarily house mental health on the lower level of the new DSS building. Veteran&squo;s affairs consists of one employee and minimal equipment and could be easily moved to either new location of the senior center or DSS building, commissioners have said.