The new 375,000 square foot city hall building will house multiple departments, including: planning and development, parks and recreation, and parts of the police and fire department. Several of the building's 12 floors are or will be leased out to private tenants; though there was some dissent on council, the city ultimately decided to take the penthouse floor for itself.
Mayor Bill Saffo says the city’s been able to help offset the cost of the Skyline Center by selling $11 million in surplus property, with a goal of offloading another $30 million in the coming years. The purchase did impact this year’s budget, but Saffo said it’s a good deal.
“Well, we purchased the building for $68 million, it was appraised for $110 million, it had a tax value of $143 million, and it had a redevelopment value of $286 million. So, for the value that we got as a community, I think we did very well," Saffo said on Monday.
Saffo christened the building as a central meeting place for residents and members of local government, stating now that most city services are consolidated under one roof, the move will bolster transparency with the public.
“This gives us the opportunity to give them space, to let them use space in their city hall. We didn't have that kind of space before. This is a community building. This is for the public," he said.
Monday's agenda review meeting was the first held in the new council chambers, which were built as part of a $6.3 million renovation and upgrade package designed to accommodate public meetings and other civic functions.
