Civic Center Project Moving Along

The project is moving along through Design Development and has reached the 50% mark. Plan sets, shown to the left, are being scoured to identify necessary changes, adjustments, and improvements to needed to make the image at the top (view from Fair Oaks) a reality.

At the last Civic Center Advisory Committee meeting (October 3), the Committee had an opportunity to provide some feedback on the 50% Design Development Cost Estimate.

50% Cost Estimate

Prior to moving into Design Development, the Council directed that staff work to reduce the overall size of the City Hall Building with the goal of reducing the fundraising requirement in order to turn the building from plans to reality.

In May 2016, the gross square footage for the building was 33,299 square feet with a construction cost estimate of nearly $19.1m. The building was reduced in overall gross square footage by 4,735 square feet to 28,564 with a new construction cost estimate of $16.8m.

Gross square footage of the single, two-story Administration and Police Building includes stairwells, hallways, mechanical rooms, janitor closets, restrooms, elevator, lobby, and Council Chambers. With the new building and building codes, there are additional space requirements and with a two-story building there is a requirement for stairwells and an elevator. For a true comparative, the "net square footage" can be compared between what exists today versus what is planned in the new facility. The current net square footage of Admin, Police, Building, Planning and Council Chambers is approximately 17,000 to 18,000 square feet in a distributed campus. There are various outbuildings, storage areas, and functional spaces where staff is housed in temporary trailers (over 20 years old) that make up this total space. The net square footage of the new single, two-story building is 18,394.

Wondering How the Whole Thing Fits?

If you walk through the current civic center, you'll find 3 display cases. Two are located near the current historic Town Hall and the third is located in the Fair Oaks parking lot. These display cases provide a perspective image of the new Civic Center in relation to the current civic center. They provide a good look and feel for what to expect with the new building(s).

A sense of place. A gathering space. A there there. These are all descriptors used during the Master Plan process in 2013-2014 to help describe what our community is looking for in its new Civic Center. In moving this project forward, the Council believes that the above designs help use reach that vision.

Wrapping It Up

There's still work to be done as the Civic Center Advisory Committee finalizes the interior floor planning for the Library and historic Town Hall renovations as well as the outdoor spaces in the new pedestrian-oriented Civic Center. Your voice and involvement is still very important to the process.

The Civic Center Committee meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 4:30 pm and they welcome your attendance. A report on the progress of the project is on every City Council Agenda - your thoughts are welcome there as well.

Lastly, Measure L was passed in 2012 providing that the Town primarily use private donations to design and construct a new Town Center. Other funding sources might include funds from Building Fees or grant funds. If you are interested in helping this project become reality through this exciting public-private partnership, visit the Atherton Now website for details.

For more information on the project, visit the Town's website.

Thanks!

George Rodericks
City Manager
Town of Atherton