Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Facilities Consolidation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pueblo considers buying Riverwalk building to consolidate city offices, add employee clinic
Summary
City staff presented a plan to purchase the top floors of the Riverwalk (PBR) building, consolidate multiple departments and add an employee health clinic; staff said the move could save construction costs compared with building a new municipal service facility.
City officials on Monday outlined a facilities plan that would buy and repurpose office space on the Riverwalk (the PBR building) to consolidate several departments, create an employee health clinic and free other city properties for sale.
Public Works Director Andrew Hayes said the city has a pending purchase with a closing target of April 30 and described proposed department relocations: planning and housing on the second floor, finance on the third floor and public-works satellite operations nearby. Hayes said the move would place many frequently interacting departments within a few blocks of City Park and the existing parks-and-recreation facilities.
Hayes told council members the building previously housed a medical clinic on the first floor and that an on-site employee clinic could serve municipal employees and their families for occupational health and preventive care. Councilor Flores described the prospective clinic as “another asset” that could lower self-insurance costs and provide timely access for employees.
Staff said the building’s purchase price of approximately $7 million (presented as a pending contract) would be funded using a certificate of participation (COP) arrangement spread over time rather than a one-time general-fund payment. Hayes said some of the repair work in other city-owned buildings — including a stone annex with groundwater and structural concerns — made purchase and reuse of the Riverwalk property attractive.
Hayes and staff estimated that constructing a new consolidated municipal service facility on city-owned land would cost substantially more than buying and renovating Riverwalk space; staff cited a potential $15 million difference in total cost compared with new construction. Hayes said renovation work at Riverwalk would be limited largely to furnishings, network cabling and minor security and accessibility improvements rather than major floor-plan changes.
Councilors asked about parking, property-tax and urban-renewal impacts, the city’s data-center location, and the timeline for moves. Staff said public parking would remain and that the building generates property and TIF revenue split among taxing entities; they said more detailed cost estimates and the final renovation budget would be provided before final approval.
Why it matters: Staff argued consolidation would improve interdepartmental coordination, reduce duplicated space, create a dedicated employee clinic, and allow the city to sell underused buildings while keeping critical infrastructure and services operating.
What’s next: Staff said they would return with refined cost estimates and a financing package for council approval and expected some departments could begin moving in a few months after closing.
