2025 4 7 Work Session PACKET 1

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Agenda Item  
III. C. Discussion of City Hall 
 
Overview 
City Hall conditions, capacity, renovations, expansions, ADA compliance, HV AC replacement, 
and purchase of other buildings to be used as a city hall have all been discussed for some time. 
Recently, during the December 9, 2024 work session, this item was discussed further. During the 
December 17, 2024 regular session, the city council authorized the city manager to obtain a 
commercial appraisal of the former BBT building to be used as a potential city hall. The appraisal 
was received and this item was further discussed during the January 13, 2025 work session and 
during the January 21, 2025 regular session According to the January 21, 2025 regular session 
minutes, no action was taken. Furthermore, during a special called meeting on February 27, 2025, 
the city council authorized the city manager to begin negotiations for the purchase of the Robert 
E. Lee Hotel with a maximum expenditure limit of $1.35M. As of March 6, 2025, negotiations 
with both property owners occurred and all pricing numbers, due diligence periods, and earnest 
costs were known.  
 
Following discussion during the March 10, 2025 work session, the consensus was to place this 
item on the March 18, 2025 regular session agenda under Old Business for further discussion.  
 
During the March 18, 2025 regular session, the city council voted to cease all further negotiations 
with both property owners. This action would leave new construction as the only viable alternative.  
 
Action to Consider 
Consensus to move this item to the April 15, 2025 regular session and authorize the city manager 
to contract with Allen & Hoshall, the architectural firm that previously studied the city hall 
situation and has already prepared space programming and expansion plans, to design, prepare 
construction documents, assist with bidding, and provide construction administration for a new 
6,000 s.f. city hall annex on the existing site as depicted on the attached drawing to house the 
Police Department as well as renovate the existing city hall building for ADA compliance and 
modernization. Estimated costs are attached. This important project could be funded by remaining 
bond funds specifically earmarked for city hall renovations, Capital Project funds, and use of new 
debt, or a combination thereof. In addition, this project would take about 24 months to complete.  
 
Relocating the Police Department to the new annex and renovating the existing city hall would 
free up space for all other departments that would remain at the existing city hall to expand their 
operations to accommodate future employee growth, have a larger and redesigned city council 
chambers, updated live stream equipment, updated HV AC system, larger IT server room, larger 
work space/copy room, ADA compliant restrooms and front entryway, updated IT infrastructure, 
among other benefits.  
 
To further plan for the future, design the new city hall annex site that would house the Police 
Department to accommodate another building for a future replacement of the Fire Station to 
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