At its final meeting of the year Dec. 17, the Shoreline city council unanimously approved the development agreement with Opus Northwest for the construction of a new city hall.
The “Gross Maximum Price” (GMP) was approved for $28 million with a total project cost of $30.5 million. This total includes design, construction, contingency, furniture and equipment plus finance charges. The project includes a building with 67,000 square feet, a parking garage and some enhanced civic design elements for the building.
Last year the City purchased property for the new building on the corner of North 175th Street and Midvale Avenue North, which includes the site of the existing City Hall Annex.
“In keeping with Shoreline’s conservative financial policies, the Shoreline city council has been setting aside money for this project since incorporation,” said Shoreline city manager Bob Olander. “Financially, it is the right thing to do. It is more cost efficient in the long-term for the City to invest in a facility rather than continue renting office space.”
The city set aside $9.5 million towards the building project and already purchased the property with cash. This allows the city to pay for half of the land and construction costs in cash and finance the rest.
“If you think about this in terms of having 50 percent down on your mortgage you can see this is good position for the city to be in,” Shoreline finance director Debbie Tarry explained.
Over the coming months, Opus will be working through the permitting process with demolition planned for February. Construction is expected to begin in May and last 17 to 18 months, with completion sometime in August or September of 2009.
“This is an exciting time for all of us with benefits for both staff and residents. The design will not only help us provide services more efficiently but will provide better access and multiple uses to the community,” Olander said. “For example, the parking structure could be used for a farmers market on weekends and the Council chambers opening onto the courtyard could be used for concerts. We hope it will be a focal point that brings the community together.”
For more information on the Civic Center/City Hall project including the latest design schematics, visit www.cityofshoreline.com, contact Project Manager Jesus Sanchez at 206-546-2519 or email cityhallproject@ci.shoreline.wa.us.
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