COLUMBIA — The Columbia City Council voted Monday night to authorize the construction of a building to house the city's recycling center.

The new structure replaces one that was destroyed in an EF1 tornado in April . Since then, some types of recyclables have been sent to the landfill while others have been taken to a facility in Jefferson City .

Utilities Director Erin Keys told the council that right now, the recycling equipment at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) on Peabody Road is exposed to the elements. Keys also told the council that the facility's sorting equipment still isn't operational.

The project is set to cost $3.6 million, most of which will come from insurance payouts. The city says design and construction will take about 12 to 18 months. The finished building

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