Kennewick council signals preference for a new City Hall, not a major remodel

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Kennewick City Council workshop participants on June 23 leaned toward building a new City Hall rather than investing in an extensive remodel of the existing building, after consultants presented updated design options, revised square‑footage estimates and preliminary cost comparisons.

City Manager Erin Erdman opened the discussion by framing the project as one of the city’s most consequential long‑term planning decisions, saying it will “shape the next 50 plus years” of the civic campus. Consultants from Architects West and Opsus Architecture then reviewed three siting and design alternatives, program adjacencies and a museum‑integration option.

The consultants said the program now estimates roughly 46,700 square feet for core City Hall functions; including a proposed museum component of about 3,500 sq ft would push the total to just over 50,000 sq ft. Joey (consultant) told the council that a heavy renovation of the existing building would require extensive demolition (roof replacement, removal of most exterior walls and major infrastructure upgrades) and is likely to cost “about three‑quarters of a new facility,” based on the firm’s preliminary estimating.

That preliminary cost framing — consultants offered a remodel estimate in the roughly $18–20 million range and said a new build would likely be in the mid‑$20 million range depending on final program and site decisions — and concerns about functionality led several council members to say the remodel path should be removed from active pursuit.

“W e are not interested in remodeling,” Mayor Pro Tem Torelli said during the discussion, a sentiment echoed by other council members who said a new building would better meet long‑term operational and layout goals.

Council discussion focused on three practical tradeoffs: whether to incorporate a museum program directly into a new City Hall (Option 1a), to preserve the existing museum and use a strengthened civic plaza to increase its visibility (Option 1b), or to place City Hall at the corner of 6th and Auburn (Option 2). Consultants said Option 1 presents strong civic campus relationships (notably with the police department and Keewaydin Park) while Option 2 could avoid temporary staff relocation but leave a central block footprint to be repurposed in future years.

Council members pressed for more precise figures on temporary relocation costs, sequencing costs (demo‑first versus build‑first approaches), and lifecycle implications such as long‑term energy efficiencies. Several members also expressed concern about how a museum might be sustained in the long term; Erin Erdman emphasized that staff and consultants never intended to remove the museum and that multiple paths remain for preserving or re‑imagining it.

By the end of the workshop a majority of council members had indicated a preliminary preference for Option 1 (keeping City Hall in the center of the block, with some flexibility on how far forward toward 6th Avenue the building sits) and asked consultants to return with refined cost estimates — specifically, detailed relocation costs, demo sequencing options and final comparative budgets — to support a final recommendation expected in the coming weeks.

The consultants said they are roughly three weeks from delivering a final presentation and recommendation. No formal vote was taken; the council is expected to review updated fee quotes and relocation scenarios before making a final selection. The workshop concluded at 8:21 p.m.