Richardson City Hall, located at 411 W. Arapaho Road, suffered significant smoke and water damage that prevented all offices from opening today. Richardson Director of Communications Greg Sowell said all city staff are advised to stay home until the building is opened.
No one was injured due to the fire, and the cause is still being investigated. The fire started on the first floor of the building in the Human Resources Department, Sowell said.
City officials said they are working to provide backup locations for city services, including the parks and recreation department as well as the traffic management center.
Damage from the fire has impacted municipal phone services, with all callers receiving a busy signal. People needing to contact city staff are encouraged to do so via email.
911 and other emergency communications are still operational.
Sowell said the City Council meeting that was scheduled for 6 p.m. this evening in the council chambers will now be held in the Community Room in the Richardson Public Library. The library is located adjacent to the Richardson City Hall building at 900 Civic Center Drive. The meeting is scheduled to cover the city’s preliminary tax rate and a change to the city’s retirement annuity.
The meeting cannot be broadcast live due to damages. It will be recorded and available to watch on-demand as soon as possible, according to Sowell.
This story is ongoing and will be updated as more information is released.
