These slides are 30% design development drawings for our new City Hall and are conceptual in nature until we get to about 60-90%, at which time they will be more concise. That should occur 30- 60 days from now. For example, the green sections in the drawings denote where vegetation is being planned, not necessarily to be entirely planted in grass.

Status
As of March 14, 2008

At its final meeting of 2007, the Shoreline City Council unanimously approved the development agreement with Opus Northwest for the construction of a new city hall. Groundbreaking and demolition is set for this spring.

The "Gross Maximum Price" (GMP) was approved for $28 million with a total project cost of $30.5 million. This total includes design, construction, contingency, furniture and equipment plus finance charges. The project includes a building with 67,000 square feet, a parking garage and some enhanced civic design elements for the building.

City staff currently working in the Annex building and city hall location will remain there until the new building is complete. Once a certificate of occupancy is issued, staff will move into the new city hall and the Annex building will be demolished. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in May 2008 with completion sometime in late summer 2009.

In anticipation of staging and demolition, the City negotiated parking agreements with nearby businesses and a church to provide parking for its City employees and construction workers. This will minimize the impact on nearby residents and allow non-City tenants and customers to continue to park at the City Hall Annex during all phases of construction.

Overview and History
Last year the City purchased property for the new building on the corner of N 175th Street and Midvale Avenue N, which includes the site of the existing City Hall Annex.

"In keeping with Shoreline’s conservative financial policies, the Shoreline City Council has been setting aside money for this project since incorporation," says Shoreline City Manager Bob Olander. "Financially, it is the right thing to do. It is more cost efficient in the long-term for the City to invest in a facility rather than continue renting office space." 

The City set aside $9.5 million towards the building project and already purchased the property with cash. This allows the City to pay for half of the land and construction costs in cash and finance the rest.

"If you think about this in terms of having 50 percent down on your mortgage you can see this is good position for the City to be in," explains Shoreline Finance Director Debbie Tarry.

"This is an exciting time for all of us with benefits for both staff and residents. The design will not only help us provide services more efficiently but will provide better access and multiple uses to the community," says Olander. "For example, the parking structure could be used for a farmers market on weekends and the Council chambers opening onto the courtyard could be used for concerts. We hope it will be a focal point that brings the community together."

In the broadest terms, it is the intent of Council that the civic center/city hall development be one that is smart in design with a focus on customer service, transparency and accessibility to the entire community. In addition, the City would like to pursue a proposal that reaches the highest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification feasible. Many features such as onsite rainwater reclamation, solar and alternative energy source power solutions, energy efficient lighting and climate control tools will be considered in this project.

Finally, this development will serve as an anchor to further the connectivity with the Interurban Trail, mass transit along 175th Street and Aurora Avenue and new public gathering spaces such as a park between Midvale Avenue and Aurora Avenue.

For more background details of this project please visit our Frequently Asked Questions. 

As more information about this process is available, it will be posted to this webpage.  Please, check back for updates!