HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Huntsville city leadership posted a tweet on the progress on construction of its new City Hall complex. The city says the building remains on track for a late 2023 opening.
Photos provided in the social media update show the frame of the 175,000 square-foot facility in position. City leaders say mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work is in progress. The new City Hall will have a ground-floor entrance off Fountain Circle and a second-floor entrance at the intersection of Fountain Circle and Madison Street.
It will replace the current city hall building at 308 Fountain Circle, which was built more than 50 years ago and has suffered from many maintenance issues in recent years, Hamilton said.
The maintenance crews kept it operating "with bubble gum and baling wire," he was quoted as saying.
The new facility was approved in late September 2021. At that time, City Administrator John Hamilton said the current facility had limited space, causing some departments to operate out of leased office buildings. The new building will be future-proofed to accommodate current department needs and those into the future.
"It will be City Hall for 75 years or more," Hamilton said at the time.
An open-concept office plan was approved, rather than traditional divided offices. Most floors will be terrazzo-style, with carpet in areas that require stronger acoustics. The façade of the building will be lined with a limestone-like material that architects said will be more cost-effective and more durable.
A 195,000 square-foot, 568-space parking deck is also under construction.
The estimated cost of the completed facility was quoted at $90 million.