Architects present feasibility plan for 20 South Main; roof leak, code and budget emerge as key questions

Mount Clemens commissioners on Tuesday reviewed a feasibility assessment for converting 20 South Main into a combined city hall, fire station and sheriff substation, and heard that an active roof leak and other maintenance issues will need near-term attention if the city proceeds.

David Gasson of Partners in Architecture presented the consultant team's findings, outlining programmatic needs, site circulation and floor plans that would let the city consolidate administrative functions while adding fire apparatus bays and a sheriff area. Gasson said the firm estimated construction costs at about $10,550,000 and a total project cost (including furniture, contingencies and soft costs) of roughly $12,000,009.50.

Why it matters: The proposal would replace or reconfigure existing municipal facilities and shift several operations downtown; it also creates immediate budget and schedule decisions for the commission because the building has active interior damage and the purchase due-diligence window has limited time.

Presentation highlights: Nate Springholz, the project manager from Partners in Architecture, told the commission the most urgent physical problem is the roof. "There's already an active roof leak which you might have noticed in the building... it's observably getting worse," Springholz said, urging that roof work be done at the time of any move-in or construction. The consultants flagged additional maintenance items—failing sealant, an aging window system and isolated water intrusion—that will drive near-term repair costs even if major renovation proceeds later.

On programming and design, the team laid out a plan that would concentrate public functions in a new civic entry and plaza and locate fire living quarters and apparatus bays so they can deploy quickly. The consultants estimated roughly 17,300 square feet for city functions within a total 6,100 square feet of new construction for the addition, with the remainder being reuse of existing space. They also proposed a separate secure corridor and accessible election storage adjacent to a multipurpose council room intended to serve as a precinct on election days.

Cost and options: Gasson said the renovation-plus-addition construction estimate sits at about $10.55 million; adding soft costs, furniture and contingencies produced the roughly $12.0 million topline. He described a value-engineered alternative priced about $500,000 lower and contrasted both with a third option—building new from scratch—at about twice the cost in the team's comparison. Gasson warned that some itemized work (for instance window-system renewal) could be deferred as a later lifecycle expense, while the roof replacement will be required before occupancy.

Energy and lifecycle: The team estimated current energy costs for the combined functions at about $75,000 per year and projected 20–30% energy savings from the renovated design—about $20,000–$22,000 annually—primarily from a new roof, systems upgrades and improved building systems.

Code and program implications: Consultants noted that recent code changes require a storm shelter for certain essential-service buildings within a 1,000-foot proximity; that requirement will influence where shelter space is located and how costs are allocated. "That component ... is part of what we're including or contemplating as part of your new building," the design team said.

Financing and next steps: Commissioners and staff discussed financing approaches, including adding the project to a planned capital-improvement bond and using a mix of cash and debt to reduce bond amounts. Staff said the city's due-diligence period on the property has been extended to Sept. 25 and that the next steps include a Fishback follow-up memo and a dedicated work session to review detailed budgets and procurement options.

What commissioners asked: Elected officials pressed the team on traffic and circulation near Cass and Walnut, the building's relationship to the nearby Macomb Daily property and whether the new city hall would remain the polling place (staff said yes). Several commissioners cautioned against relying on a future sale or redevelopment of the city's current property as an immediate funding source, noting that environmental issues and demolition costs could reduce net proceeds.

Outcome and timeline: No formal decision was taken at the work session. Staff and consultants will return with more detailed numbers and a recommended financing model; meanwhile the commission extended the due-diligence deadline and agreed to set a follow-up work session once Fishback and other analyses are available. The meeting adjourned after commissioners moved to end the session.

(For further detail, the full consultant report and 11x17 presentation materials were made available to commissioners and staff.)