Kenmore makes move on building new City Hall

Officials file

for permits

The city of Kenmore has filed for permits to build its new $19 million City Hall near the center of town.

Residents can review designs for the facility during an open house at 6:30 p.m. July 29 at the Northshore Utility District building (6830 N.E. 185th St., Kenmore).

The building will be located across from Kenmore Village by the Lake, a proposed mixed-use development that would serve as the city’s first downtown revitalization project.

The site is located along 68th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 181st and 182nd streets, on a 2-acre parcel of land that the city of Kenmore purchased for $3 million last July.

Kenmore’s City Council approved an outline for the final design in April.

“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about the way the site is laid out,” said Assistant City Manager Nancy Ousley.

Plans call for a 40,000-square-foot facility that would meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards, with a possibility of qualifying for Gold.

The two-story building would include City Council chambers, a community meeting area and three public conference rooms.

“There’s going to be a lot of public space that’s in the community domain,” said Ousley. “Everyone is excited about that. Talk to any organization in town, and they’ll say that our meeting rooms are over-booked.”

Both underground and surface parking will be available, with 40 spaces below the structure and 22 stalls above it.

Environmentally sustainable features will include a vegetated roof above the council chambers, sustainable building materials, a shower and bike storage for cyclists, energy-efficient lighting and an energy-efficient HVAC system that utilizes natural ventilation.

The city has also applied for a grant from King County that would help pay for solar panels, and its contractors will be aiming to 75 percent of their waste.

Designers modified their initial plans to lower costs for the project, which had a preliminary target price of $12 million.

Changes included the elimination of a public plaza and a water feature, reducing the amount of below-grade parking and realigning the building footprint.

The combined alterations are expected to trim an estimated $3.5-$4.5 million from the project.

City Council recently authorized the release of $3.4 million for early procurement of materials and services. The move is expected to help sidestep inflation and expedite project completion.

“It’ll probably save us some money, perhaps as much as $400,000, and when we need something, we won’t have to wait around for it,” Ousley said.

The city currently has around 25 employees, and plans to add more in the future.

“We look at this as a long-term home for the city government,” Ousley said. “All of the planning we did assumed a 20-year horizon.”

The City Hall facility will fill only part of its 2-acre site, leaving room for future expansions and a possible skate park on the property’s north end.

Construction is expected to begin in December, according to Ousley.

City Council has set aside 1 percent of the project budget — around $130,000 — for the purchase of public art.

The works will appear at the City Hall front entrance, which includes a covered outdoor terrace.

A seven-member committee comprised of local residents will select an artist to work on the project. King County 4Culture is accepting applications until Aug. 11.

• Visit www.cityofkenmore.com for additional details about the City Hall project. Artists can apply to work on the public art display at www.4culture.org.

Kenmore Reporter Reporter Joshua Hicks can be reached at jhicks@bothell-reporter.com or 425-483-3732.

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