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Glazing and masonry mark milestone in Glendale downtown campus reinvestment; council shown amphitheater and art RFQ
Summary
City Architect Eddie Garcia told the Glendale City Council at a May 27 workshop that the downtown campus reinvestment project has reached a glazing milestone, most masonry is complete, site sidewalks and amphitheater grading are underway, and staff expect the project to remain on track to finish in 2026; no action was requested at the workshop.
City Architect Eddie Garcia briefed the Glendale City Council on May 27 that the downtown campus reinvestment project is entering a new visible phase: most glazing is installed, exterior masonry is largely complete and interior framing is advancing.
"The big news is glazing," Garcia said, describing that, with the exception of the west façade, most glazing units are now in place and that the south curtain-wall system and unitized window modules were being installed. He said the curtain-wall glazing will reduce solar heat gain on the south exposure and that staff expect the glazing to help meet project energy targets. "With the glazing now going in on the building...it's really beginning to look like the building that we've all looked for," Garcia said.
Garcia walked the council through recent exterior and interior activity: sidewalk, curb and planting work along "50 Ninth" with an active permit through June 6 (staff said they may finish earlier); masonry finishing on the west elevation and council chambers, roof waterproofing and new roof system work; interior ceiling framing, stair installation, and guardrail fabrication; and the bridge/link columns that will connect the City Hall and Council Chambers buildings. He described regrading and forming of site walls for the amphitheater and noted the amphitheater technology procurement (audio/theatrical systems) and a separate RFQ for public art for an exterior wall.
Council members asked for more detail on the garden level, the clerk's office and the relationship between the garden level, council chambers and the amphitheater; Garcia said framing on that level will be substantial in June and offered to schedule a guided site tour at a safe time outside working hours. Council Member Turner asked about shading and interior blinds; Vice Mayor Tom Michoff explained that high-performance glazing and vertical fins will reduce heat gain and that roller shades are available as a backup. Council Member Guzman asked where the pedestrian link would connect; Garcia identified the link as connecting the lobby of the Council Chambers building to the first-floor deck of City Hall and said steel for the link was expected to be in place before June.
Garcia said the project team is tracking to finish in 2026 and that the next update will shift focus from exterior work to interior finishes as the exterior nears its final stage. "We are tracking to end the '26," Garcia said. He also noted an RFQ for future artwork for a central exterior wall and that amphitheater steel columns were expected to be delivered soon.
Ending: This was an informational workshop update and no council action was requested. Council members expressed interest in further detail on public-facing spaces and in a possible site tour; staff said they will provide a more detailed garden-level update at the next meeting.
