The council unanimously agreed to start accepting bids for the renovation, which will shuffle staff offices, moving some administrative workspaces to the second floor and building out space for the information technology department.
City Manager Clint Garza said this renovation should get staff through the next 2 1/2 to three years until the new City Hall opens.
“I don’t know if we can function with current city staff this way if we are going to continue to grow our city services,” he said.
According to Garza, two staff members have been added since early 2020 with more hires expected. The need for more space at the city offices at 4000 Galleria Parkway was first identified in 2019. Some workspaces are being used for multiple functions, including document assembly and a food service station. Council first considered the renovations in March 2020, deciding to defer them due to uncertainty about COVID-19.
The construction is estimated to cost about $130,000 and is expected to be comparable to the existing fit and finish. CasaBella Architects has been chosen to prepare plans for the new offices.
