DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie, P.E.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Staff briefing regarding the historic renovation of City Hall including an additional proposed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible entrance.
SUMMARY:
Transportation & Capital Improvements Department (TCI) will provide City Council a briefing regarding the historic renovation of City Hall including the proposed additional ADA accessibility project at the east entrance.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Nearly three years ago in early 2014, the City began discussions on a Comprehensive Development Agreement with Weston Urban LLC/Frost Bank on a transaction for a new Frost Bank Tower, and on June 4, 2015 City Council approved the agreement. This public/private partnership (P3) provided for, among other improvements, the City’s acquisition of the current downtown Frost Bank tower building that will serve as a consolidated administrative building for the City. During this P3 process, renovation policy options for both the current Frost Bank tower and City Hall were discussed. Financial capacity for the renovations was included within the City’s debt management plan. Last month, the City Hall renovation project was included in the Transportation & Capital Improvements (TCI) FY 2018 Budget presentation to City Council.
City Hall is over 125 years old. The 52,000 square foot facility was constructed in 1889. Over the years, there have been minor renovations and some system maintenance. However, the building continues to experience significant problems with the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sewer systems, flooding in the lower levels, and has extensive exterior issues including an aging and crumbling facade and deteriorating window casings. Some ongoing examples, earlier this year, a fourth-floor window pane fell out of its casing and a piece of the building’s cornice facade fell off the building.
Due to these deteriorating conditions, a detailed facility assessment was conducted in March 2017 by third-party consultants to evaluate and identify necessary restorations. The facility assessment revealed numerous problems. Most notably, it was determined that the facility’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and building envelope are well beyond their expected life span and are not in compliance with the City’s building codes. In order to sustain the usage of this historically prominent facility, major repairs and upgrades totaling an estimated $34.6 million were recommended to be completed. These include new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; new elevators; improved fire suppression systems; exterior masonry repair; new/refurbished exterior windows and entrances; and, exterior drainage improvements.
In mid-2016, Councilman Trevino submitted a City Council Consideration Request to have an equal access ADA entrance added to the east side of City Hall. Currently, there is an ADA compliant entrance on the west side of City Hall. Initiated by Councilman Trevino last spring, a design competition led by the American Institute of Architects generated 22 ADA equal access entrance concepts in August 2017 with a juried selection of one with an estimated cost of $3.4 million to design and construct. Therefore, the total budget for the restoration and renovation of City Hall would total $38 million and funding at this level is included in the City’s debt plan.
Given that there are a significant and growing number of facility issues with the City Hall building, City staff recommends that the east ADA entrance project be constructed as part of the larger City Hall historic renovation. Additionally, there are significant utilities under the east entrance and lawn of City Hall including water, sewer and natural gas pipes and telecommunications conduit. The City Engineer, Mike Frisbie, advises that the utilities be upgraded first as part of the City Hall renovation to be followed by the construction of the east ADA entrance project. Architects have indicated that there are savings to be achieved by consolidating the east ADA entrance project with the City Hall renovation project.
ISSUE:
TCI will provide City Council a briefing regarding the historic renovation of City Hall including a proposed additional ADA accessibility project at the east entrance.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total budget for the restoration and renovation of City Hall is estimated at $38 million and is included in the City’s debt plan. No fiscal action is necessary at this time.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends presenting to City Council the facts of the City Hall historic renovation and additional ADA entrance and obtain policy direction from the City Council on the issue.