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City reviews program options for Alice Hall; staff to return with site suggestions
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Summary
City staff updated council on early design work for Alice Hall and said consultants will return with siting options that respect floodplain constraints. Discussion emphasized flexible, divisible spaces over a single large banquet hall and potential partnerships with YMCA and Boys & Girls Club.
City planners and CRA staff updated the council on Feb. 23 about ongoing work to reimagine Alice Hall for community uses. Staff met with consultant Erin Banks to review potential siting and programming; they have identified several candidate locations but must ensure any location sits above the critical flood‑elevation contour staff referenced.
Miss Hamilton said the design exercise is focused on long‑term flexibility: options discussed include a caterer’s kitchen that could serve current needs and later be reconfigured, the ability to divide the building into multiple rooms rather than a single 300‑person banquet hall, and spaces suitable for classes, community programs and storage. Council members cautioned that maintenance and operability should drive choices: moveable folding partitions and accordion dividers can be expensive and are often underused.
Staff said they have also had preliminary conversations with the school board and YMCA about using space in the former West Elementary building as a temporary or complementary venue. The council asked staff to return with location‑specific concepts that show how Alice Hall would fit the park and address parking and accessibility constraints.
