According to city documents, the new site will include two facilities: a roughly 13,000-square-foot one-story building and a 26,000-square-foot two-story building. A space analysis of both has already been conducted, and at the July 6 meeting, Chris Casey from Houston architectural and engineering company Huitt-Zollars discussed the design recommendation for the facilities.
City Council also reviewed a proposed budget of $7.1 million for a complete build-out, according to Public Works Director Sharon Valiante. Mayor Aaron Groff said the council is conscious of the large cost.
“It’s not unexpected,” Groff said. “For a municipal facility, we’re definitely coming in, after the purchase, the build-out, all that stuff, we’re coming in well below what would be expected for a building of this size.”
The move comes in response to deterioration of the current City Hall, including movement in the foundation and upper walls, and cracks in the walls, according to Valiante. Following a consultant’s visual inspection, the City Hall on FM 1093 received a condition rating of poor, and it was recommended the city relocate in the next three to five years.
As of June 30, city staff finished vacating the current City Hall, and all departments are now temporarily residing at the industrial complex, where the Fulshear Police Department, utility services, finance and other departments are located already.
Casey said that in determining the designs, Huitt-Zollars and the city received staff input through a questionnaire. Considerations such as each department’s level of interaction with the public will factor into the facilities’ layout.
Council Member Joel Patterson raised questions at the meeting regarding how City Hall will fit into the town center while keeping distinction as city rather than commercial buildings.
“As a citizen and as a council member, those are my concerns about how we do this and how we make it look first class,” Patterson said.
