CHANGING PLANS
RENEWING RICHARDSON After initially planning to renovate city hall, Richardson officials are asking voters for funds to build a new city hall due to renovation costs increasing because of a fire.
Cost of new city hall construction
Scope of library renovations
Initially set for renovations, Richardson City Hall could now be fully replaced after a 2022 fire caused significant
$35.8M total base construction $5.3M escalation due to fire delay $4.2M relocation expenses $2.8M scope/site enhancements
$46M general obligation bond (Proposition A in the May 6 general election) $22.4M in 2021 bond funding $16.5M+ expected insurance settlement It will cost around $25M more to build a new city hall compared to renovating the existing building.
$85M* expected total cost
$48.1M total cost
infrastructure damage.
1980 Richardson City Hall and Public Library are built 2020 City hall and library identified as areas in need of major renovations November 2021 Richardson City Hall and Public Library bond program passes February 2022 Richardson outlines initial timeline for city hall and library projects August 2022 Fire at Richardson City Hall damages building, delays renovation projects January 2023 City officials present plan for constructing new city hall February 2023 Richardson City Council calls election on $46 million general obligation bond May 6, 2023 General election date for city hall bond project Summer 2023 Move-in date for temporary city hall facility Summer 2026 Estimated completion for construction of new city hall
To fund the construction of a new city hall, Richardson was approved by the Texas Attorney General’s Office to access the initial $22.4 million from the 2021 bond project, Magner said. Rich- ardson officials also said they expect to receive at least $16.5 million in insur- ance claims for the damaged city hall. To fund the remainder of the proj- ect, voters will decide May 6 on a prop- osition for a general obligation bond referendum that would raise $46 mil- lion in new funds to help pay for the construction of a new city hall at its existing site. Richardson Director of Communi- cations Greg Sowell said the option to renovate city hall is still available if the proposition fails, among other possibilities. Richardson City Council showed support for the idea of a new city hall when Magner presented options on whether to renovate or construct during a January meeting. “With new construction, we’re going to probably eliminate or reduce the probability of having fires so easily,” Council Member Arefin Shamsul said at a Jan. 23 meeting. “Even though [the cost of the project] is a lot of money, I think the benefit it provides as a whole to the city is a positive sign.” If approved during the election, con- struction on a new city hall building *COST FIGURES ARE PRELIMINARY AND DO NOT EQUAL EXPECTED TOTAL DUE TO ROUNDING AND ESTIMATES. SOURCE: CITY OF RICHARDSON/COMMUNITY IMPACT
with plans to renovate the library. A temporary site for both facilities will be set up through the end of 2026. Resident Matthew Martin, a long- time city hall user who spoke at several council meetings on the construction effort, said Richardson’s pursuit of a new city hall is an opportunity to reju- venate interest in its projects. “At the end of the day, if we try to revitalize the building, you’re still going to have a [40-year-old] building,” he said. “This way, we can build fresh and have a more efficient structure that fits in with the community better.” New city hall By building a new city hall, Richard- son officials said they hope to create a more community-friendly site that would provide a number of benefits to residents. Magner said the construction project is designed to provide more efficiency overall for city officials, with the build- ing being at least 15% more energy efficient than the existing structure. It would also give Richardson an edge on attracting and retaining talent by hav- ing up-to-date facilities. “By having staff better organized and more strategically located, we think people will be able to do their jobs more efficiently, which will trans- late to better services,” he said.
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forcing Richardson officials to relocate services to other facilities and con- sider building a new city hall. The fire also forced a delay to the concurrent Richardson Public Library renovation project, which was also part of the 2021 bond program. Richardson City Manager Don Mag- ner recommended the expected $85 million project to build a new city hall on the same property during a Jan- uary City Council meeting. The esti- mated 95,000-square-foot building, if approved, would be located near the existing city hall across from the Rich- ardson Public Library at the corner of West Arapaho Road and North Central Expressway. Plans also call for leveling the existing building to create a general community space. If the bond proposition is approved, no tax rate increase would be associated with the sale of the bonds, Magner said. Magner added the new city hall and a renovated library should provide residents with a more streamlined experience. “[Residents] need to be able to do their business more efficiently and feel at home in both facilities,” he said. Separate from the May 6 bond elec- tion, city officials are moving forward
SOURCE: CITY OF RICHARDSON/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
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