City staff weigh new city hall construction against renovation after cost and disruption concerns

City staff on Monday presented council with an early comparison between building a new city hall and renovating the existing building, saying the two options differed in both cost and operational impact.

The staff presentation said a new city hall on the current site would cost roughly $4.1 million, while renovating the existing structure was estimated at about $1.1 million. The staff speaker added that renovation would likely require the city to operate from a temporary off-site location during construction, which staff estimated could cost roughly $75,000–$100,000 to set up and operate.

The staff speaker cautioned that the $1.1 million renovation figure does not include the cost and disruption of operating off site and warned of “surprises” that can arise during renovations. The presenter noted examples from past projects in the region where concealed conditions drove costs significantly above initial bids and recommended the council request a formal pros-and-cons briefing from the project architect at the next meeting. "We can arrange that for the next meeting," the staff speaker said.

Councilors asked for additional detail on efficiency comparisons between new and old buildings (gas and electric savings), and several members noted the importance of understanding all potential unknowns before giving staff direction. One council member recalled an earlier renovation in a nearby community where contractors found failed subflooring that required unexpected structural work.

Next steps: staff will forward the architects’ objective comparison to council and invited questions ahead of the architect’s appearance. Councilors also discussed applying for federal funding through Congressman Ruy’s office for a project category that could include the city hall work; staff said the application deadline was imminent and they planned to submit but would first seek clarification from a contact named Eric Kennedy.