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Council advances city-hall renovation and Mil Street green-space design after architects estimate $4 million
Summary
City staff told the council that architects now estimate roughly $4 million to renovate and expand city hall to address ADA, security and space issues; council voted to advance engineering/bid preparation for that renovation and a smaller Mil Street green-space concept while staff explores funding sources and next steps.
The Louisville City Council on Jan. 20 moved the city hall renovation and a scaled-down Mil Street green-space concept into the next design and engineering phase after staff said the architect estimate for renovations is about $4 million.
City manager (unnamed) told the council the renovation is driven by three primary needs: insufficient space, security concerns and noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. "The estimate from the architects is $4 million," the city manager said, adding that cost increases reflect previously unseen conditions in the building (missing insulation, required fire suppression, asbestos-wrapped ductwork and other items) that raised the scope of necessary work.
Staff described available resources and potential funding: council previously set aside roughly $2 million for the project; carryover and revenues could provide about another $1 million; staff reported an estimated $450,000 likely to be available from leftover fire-station funds and roughly $250,000 currently tied up in an amphitheater purchase order that is expected to be reimbursed. The city manager said cost estimators will provide a firmer number in a few weeks and engineers would need months to prepare construction documents if council elects to proceed.
Councilors debated options including renovating the existing building versus constructing a new building on a different parcel. The manager cautioned that a new-build option raises additional questions (site, asbestos abatement, disposal or sale of the old building) and said renovation appears the most straightforward path given the city’s current resources and the absence of an immediately obvious new site.
Council also considered two renderings for Mil Street and downtown green-space improvements: an earlier $3.4 million concept and a scaled-down, more affordable concept that reconfigures existing parking and converts a portion of downtown into a public patio and flexible event area. The council voted to advance both the city-hall design work and the Mil Street concept to the engineering/bid-preparation stage so staff can develop cost estimates and property-swap details.
On events, staff and council discussed moving the annual haunted-forest attraction from Meer Park to a recently vacated recycling-center parcel; staff said preliminary discussions with the group and insurers had no objections and that the parcel offers about "4 acres" and more separation from nearby residences than the prior site.
The council also heard a neighborhood infrastructure item: staff reported that approximately 150 curb-strip trees in one neighborhood are causing sidewalk upheaval and recommended removing trees that are directly damaging sidewalks and asking an arborist to assess others to prevent future cost to homeowners.
The manager estimated a 9–12 month construction period after bids are awarded if the project proceeds. Councilors said they want to continue with the design and engineering work and, if estimates remain within a manageable range, to move toward bidding later this year.
