Kennewick council weighs renovating City Hall or building new facility

Kennewick City Council members spent substantial time in a Feb. 25 workshop reviewing options for City Hall, including a renovation package estimated at about $7.5 million and a new facility estimated at $30 million to $40 million in 2025 dollars.

City Manager Erin Erdman and staff framed the discussion around trade-offs: repairs and upgrades needed now versus pursuing a new civic facility and a larger master plan for the civic campus.

Why it matters: City Hall is the council—s top priority after the convention center. Whether council opts to fund a renovation or pursue a new build will shape near-term capital spending and possible site-selection decisions with long-term implications for downtown planning.

What staff said

Erin Erdman summarized the options: renovate the existing 1965 building, which would be a lower-cost, lower-disruption near-term approach but offers limited scalability; or plan a new facility with higher upfront cost but modern design and longer-term savings. Erdman said the renovation estimate included a new roof ($4,000,000), a failing HVAC system ($1,200,000), and roughly $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 for server replacement by 2027. "There's about $7,500,000 in upgrades that's going to be needed to this facility over the next couple of years," Erdman said, adding that the figure excludes larger remodels beyond structural and technology replacements.

Council concerns and context

Several council members expressed preference for a new facility but also concern about cost and impact on other projects. Council member Trumbo said a decision depends on the relative costs of other priorities: "30 to 40,000,000 means something if you're going to try to do everything on the list or only a few things on the list." Mayor Pro Tem Chiarelli and Council member Milbauer both voiced support for prioritizing City Hall; Milbauer said, "I think a master plan for a civic master plan would be a I think it should all be downtown where it is here. I like that idea the best. As far as quality of life for the community, I think we need to start with, for me, quality of life for the community is the face of the community, which is City Hall, and we need a new City Hall."

Staff cautioned that the TCA facility assessment numbers tend to be on the high side and said further facility assessments and cost updates will be needed. Erdman noted that some technology items (servers, wireless equipment) are approaching end of life and would need investment whether the building is renovated or replaced.

Site and master-plan discussion

Council debated whether to keep City Hall on its current downtown campus or relocate (options previously considered included rebuilding on the existing lot, building on the adjacent parking lot and then demolishing the old building, or looking elsewhere in the city). Council members asked staff to compile a map of city-owned parcels as an initial step; staff said a civic master plan would show options and could include city-owned land or potential purchase sites.

Next steps

Council left City Hall at the top of the post-convention-center priority list and asked staff to return with more detailed assessments, to include updated cost estimates, options for renovation vs. new construction, and civic master-plan alternatives that map possible sites. No formal vote was taken at the workshop.