2025 5 12 Work Session Packet 1

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Agenda Item
III. M. Discussion of City Hall

Overview

City hall conditions, capacity, new construction, renovations, expansions, ADA compliance,
HVAC replacement, and purchase of other buildings to be used as a city hall have all been
discussed for some time. 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 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 negotiations with
both property owners. This action would leave new construction as the only viable alternative.

During the April 7, 2025 work session, constructing a new 6,000 s.f. city hall annex on the existing
city hall site to house the Police Department, renovating the existing city hall building, cost
estimates, funding sources, general time schedule, and the advantages of constructing a new city
hall annex and renovating the existing city hall were discussed. The consensus was to place this
item on the April 15, 2025 regular session agenda under Old Business for further discussion.

During the April 15, 2025 regular session, the majority of the city council voted to “authorize the

City Manager to engage architects Allen & Hoshall to design plans and refine cost estimates for
an annex and renovation to the current city hall.”

After that vote, it was discovered that the NE corner of the city-owned property proposed for the

annex was under a 2009 joint venture agreement with the YMCA for parking until April 2029 and
not available to use.

However, to keep in concert with the City Council’s directive of April 15, 2025, an alternative plan
was devised by constructing a detached Public Safety Complex consisting of the Fire and Police

Departments (concept plan is attached). Stiles Street is just city property and not a part of the
official city street system.

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