Council reviews near-final city hall plan; Construction Simplified projects completion around Christmas

Council and staff reviewed a near-final rendering and floor plan for the new Cedar Springs city hall on April 10. Presenters described design features including a vestibule entrance, a utility/billing counter to the left of the entry, an east-side band of city offices, a larger council chamber on the west, public restrooms near the front, and a back garage for Department of Public Works vehicles and storage.

Staff said the project team (Construction Simplified, led in meetings by Jeff with Tim also present) is resolving mechanical and electrical placements with engineers; a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer attended the most recent project meeting. "This is what we want it to look like...they should have that wrapped up by the end of the month," a presenter said, and the Construction Simplified schedule submitted with their RFQ tentatively puts project completion around Christmas this year. Staff described weekly project meetings and said some details — for example, increasing an overhead door opening so large plow trucks will fit and adding a drive-through configuration to improve vehicle flow — remain to be finalized.

Council asked about a possible digital sign, ceiling heights in the council chamber (reported at 14 feet), insulation and the visibility of exposed beams in the vestibule. Staff said the sign had not been proposed yet and that funding options (bond vs. general fund) could be evaluated later. The project remains on schedule while staff and engineers finalize mechanical, electrical and contractor details.