Montgomery’s planned municipal complex that will be its new City Hall and house its police department is now estimated to cost $16.6 million, the city’s contractor told council members at their Nov. 9 meeting.
Some context
The city is planning to move City Hall to the former Jim’s Hardware building on Liberty Street in Montgomery. Jim’s Hardware closed in 2025 and the city acquired the building.
The plan is to renovate the 32,000-square-foot building, which could eventually house more than 100 city employees, according to previous reporting.
The current $16.6 million price tag includes expanding and replacing the existing parking lot, according to Tellepsen, the city’s contractor. Construction is expected to begin by March and take a year to complete.
Mayor Sara Countryman said consideration must be given to the property’s drainage since the buildout will create more impervious surface area.
“The people down the hill from this property do not need to take on the additional water and the dissipation of their property values,” Countryman said. “There needs to be improved drainage.”
Also on the agenda
The city council approved an escrow agreement between the city and Montgomery County Emergency Services District No. 2 for the latter to build a new facility off Plez Morgan Drive.
The district acquired nine acres of land there and plans to build a “hub for administration, training, logistics, and support services” for the Montgomery County Fire Department’s operations.
Zachary Timms, the city’s engineering consultant with WGA, said there will be a detention pond for the development and that they are monitoring the area as drainage improvements are made.
The $10,000 escrow agreement will reimburse the city for expenses it incurs overseeing the development.
