The gist
Assistant City Manager Charles Goff presented an overview of the project at the Jan. 6 council meeting and recommended council approve the bid.
The budget for the project includes $65.4 million for the actual construction, $10.2 million for “soft costs” including public art displays, $6.4 million for furniture and equipment and about $850,000 for demolition costs. Additionally, the budget includes $6.7 in relocation costs and $1.8 million for contingencies putting the total budget for the project at $91 million.
Several project elements were not included in the bid, including rooftop solar panels costing $1.25 million, enhancements to the plaza and leadership grove at $1.1 million, parking lot refresh at $200,000, expanded second floor patio at $325,000 and relocating a transform at $200,000.
Goff said the reason these elements were not included in the bid was to flexibility by offering them as individual bids. A groundbreaking ceremony is currently planned for Feburary, Goff said.
The background
The 2021 bond program included renovations to city hall; however, after a fire in August 2022, voters approved a bond in 2023 to rebuild city hall rather than renovate the old, fire-damaged building. The new city hall is part of a project to update municipal facilities, which includes $48.1 million in renovations to the Richardson Public Library, which began in March.
