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Lewisville to pursue new city hall construction after architects present costs and risks of renovation
Summary
After architects presented a close cost comparison, Lewisville council voted to pursue new construction for city hall rather than renovate the aging former fire station, citing unknown remediation risks and long‑term efficiency gains. Council said the project can be funded from reserves without new taxes.
Lewisville City Council voted March 16 to direct staff to pursue new construction for a replacement city hall after hearing a cost and feasibility presentation from Horn & King Architects.
Architects showed two scenarios: renovating the existing former fire station or building a new, smaller (about 8,500 sq. ft.) facility designed to be more efficient. "For the amount of money that you would be spending on renovating that building, we could probably provide you with a brand new building," architect Dave King told the council, summarizing the comparison.
The renovation option would require extensive work to address basement flooding, asbestos removal and stair/ramp circulation that leaves the building without an elevator. Architects said those unknowns can generate change orders and escalate costs. The new‑construction plan would be built on the existing site footprint, allow city operations to continue through construction, include site improvements and — the architects said — likely result in a more efficient layout with lower long‑term operating costs.
City finance staff told the council the project could be funded from existing reserves and recent revenue gains tied to a voter‑approved local measure, without asking residents for new taxes. "We can still fund this while not negatively impacting our operating budgets," the manager said.
Council members debated roof type, footprint and accessibility tradeoffs before a motion to pursue new construction was made and approved unanimously. Council asked administration to continue developing designs and bring cost‑refined options and staff liaisons to future meetings.
Next steps: staff will proceed with design work for new construction and return to council with more detailed cost estimates and potential phasing/timing information.
