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Medical Lake staff outline revised design, equipment changes for city hall commercial kitchen
Summary
City staff gave council a workshop update on the commercial kitchen retrofit, describing layout changes, equipment choices and a shift from a walk‑in cooler to multiple door refrigerators to save cost and roof work; completion date is pending an updated contractor estimate.
City staff presented an update April 1 on the ongoing commercial kitchen renovation at Medical Lake City Hall, describing changes to layout and equipment intended to make the space more efficient for classes, a future commissary and rentals.
Glenn Horton, who led the presentation, said demo work is done and contractors and kitchen consultants reviewed initial plans and recommended a revised equipment layout for the building’s limited ceiling height and compact footprint. Horton said the team settled on a combi oven (self‑venting because of hood height limits), a three‑compartment sink with a dishwasher, roll‑away prep counters and two large reach‑in refrigerators instead of a single walk‑in cooler to reduce rooftop compressor work and long‑term repair costs.
Horton said the revised plan adds locking dry storage for commissary users, more dry storage overall and a heat‑holding cabinet to support staged meal service. He told council the roll‑up doors and roll‑away counters will allow the kitchen to open into the auditorium for cooking classes and demonstrations.
On schedule and cost: Horton said the city had expected the work to finish by mid‑April to early May but that recent plan changes prompted new contractor estimates. He said the city is awaiting updated cost and completion figures from the general contractor and that the kitchen redesign could produce modest trade‑offs in expense; the city had allocated urban program dollars and anticipated some overage. “We’ve finally come up with our final layout,” Horton said; a contractor estimate is expected before staff commits to a new completion date.
Councilors asked about the location of roll‑up doors and the layout of refrigeration; Horton showed the plan and explained that choosing two door refrigerators reduces mechanical complexity and expense because it avoids adding rooftop compressors.
Next steps: staff said they will circulate the contractor estimate and a revised schedule to council when available and will return with a cost update and anticipated completion date.
